Paris Olympics 2024 | "We made a few errors in defence": Harmanpreet Singh

Harmanpreet Singh. Pic/AP, PTI

The Indian men's hockey team suffered a 2-3 loss against Germany in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics 2024. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh expressed his sadness for not being able to reach the finals of the Paris Olympics 2024.

Team India missed out on a chance to reach the finals of the Olympics for the first time in 44 years. The side will now clash with Spain for the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.

"This is extremely disappointing as we came here to win a gold medal. But, having said that, it's better to go home with bronze than nothing," said skipper Harmanpreet Singh.

"When you lose in the semifinal game, it's not that easy to take as reaching the final is a dream of any athlete," the captain added.

India's goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who is playing his last international tournament said, "It's a heartbreaking loss for us. We had the chance to win gold, but now, we have to forget this semifinal and focus on the bronze medal match."

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India coach Craig Fulton also expressed his sadness following the defeat. "We're disappointed we could not get over the line. We played a great match, pushed very hard till the end," he said.

Harmanpreet and Sreejesh both agreed that the team made a few mistakes that cost them in the end. "We made a few errors in defence and we missed a few chances," Harmanpreet, who put India ahead with his seventh-minute strike, said.

Sreejesh said, "We can't commit such silly mistakes during the match. We could not make an impact in the opponent's half."

The seasoned campaigner from Kerala played down the hype around him in his final outing with the national team. "I think rather than my situation, the team is more important. Just forget about that and play the next game in a better way, bounce back in the next game," Sreejesh said.

Ahead of wrestler Vinesh Phogat's final match in the Paris Olympics 2024, Sreejeh and Harmanpreet wished her luck and hoped that "she would do it tomorrow and make the country proud." The Indians started brightly and dominated the early exchanges before the Germans regrouped themselves. Harmanpreet (7th) and Sukhjeet Singh (36th) struck for India, while Gonzalo Peillat (18th), Christopher Ruhr (27th) and Marco Miltkau (54th) were the scorers for Germany.

(With PTI Inputs)