At Tokyo Olympics 2020, a tail of coincidences for Indian hockey
In sports, skills, stamina, exposure and strength win. And yes, there's a stroke of luck. Beyond it is the X-factor, like in hockey: the Indian men's hockey team won where women lost or vice-versa at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Now, take a look at some of the fun facts.
Girls lost to Great Britain, boys beat them.
Boys lost to Australia, girls beat them.
Girls lost to Argentina, boys beat them.
Girls lost to Germany, Boys beat them
Also Read | Tokyo Olympics: Indian men’s hockey team clinch bronze, win medal after 41 years
On Thursday, a resolute Indian men's hockey team rewrote history as it claimed an Olympic medal after 41 years, defeating a plucky Germany 5-4 to win the bronze in an edge-of-the-seat play-off match at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. On the other, girls had lost to Germany on July 26. The last time India had won a medal in hockey was at the 1980 Moscow Games where they got the gold.
On the other hand, Indian women's hockey team on Wednesday went down 1-2 against Argentina in the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 and now has an eye on the bronze medal match against Great Britain on August 6. The Rani Rampal-led women's hockey team had already scripted history when they qualified for the semifinals at the Olympics on August 2.
Also Read | Tokyo Olympics 2020: Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya advances to finals, assures medal
Did you know when Indian men's hockey team win last?
1928 Olympics, Amsterdam: Gold
1932 Olympics, Los Angeles: Gold
1936 Olympics, Berlin: Gold
1948 Olympics, London: Gold
1952 Olympics, Helsinki: Gold
1956 Olympics, Melbourne: Gold
1960 Olympics, Rome: Silver
1964 Olympics, Tokyo: Gold
1968 Olympics, Mexico City: Bronze
1972 Olympics, Munich: Bronze
1980 Olympics, Moscow: Gold
2020 Olympics, Tokyo: Bronze
The Odisha connection
Moments after the Indian women's hockey team created history by beating three times hockey world champion Australia in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sent out a congratulatory video message for the players. The success of both hockey teams holds a special significance for Odisha.
To begin with, the current vice-captains of both men's and women's hockey teams are from Odisha. With the likes of Indian professional sprinter Dutee Chand, Odisha has also over the years produced several national-level hockey players. The state has simultaneously stepped up to develop the sports infrastructure and sponsor national teams.
- PTC News