Tokyo Olympics 2020: PM Narendra Modi lauds Indian women’s hockey team| Watch-Sports News , Firstpost
PM Narendra Modi praised the Indian women’s hockey team for their sensational run at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Players of Britain celebrate after winning the women’s bronze medal against India. AFP
It was a tough loss for the Indian women’s hockey team against Great Britain in the bronze medal playoff match. Contrasting scenes played out on the turf as the British players celebrated their 4-3 victory, the Indian players couldn’t hide their tears. It was a nail-biter with India leading the match 3-2 but conceding two goals and ultimately finishing fourth.
The team, led by Rani Rampal, earned plaudits for their phenomenal show at the Games. From losing the opening three matches to qualifying for the semi-final, it was a remarkable turnaround.
After the match, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with the players along with head coach Sjoerd Marijne and other coaching staff.
In a video released by news agency ANI, the disappointment on the Indian players’ faces can be clearly seen but PM Modi praised the team for their sensational run.
#WATCH | Indian Women’s hockey team breaks down during telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He appreciates them for their performance at #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/n2eWP9Omzj
— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2021
Against Great Britain, gold-medallists at the 2016 Rio Games, India overcame a two-goal deficit to lead 3-2 at half-time. But a desperate Great Britain scored two goals in the second-half to snatch the victory.
India scored three goals in a span of five minutes through Gurjit Kaur (25th, 26th minutes) and Vandana Katariya (29th). But the Great Britain side found the net four times thanks to Elena Rayer (16th), Sarah Robertson (24th), skipper Hollie Pearne-Webb (35th) and Grace Balsdon (48th) to emerge winners.
