India defeated Germany 5-4 in bronze medal match in hockey at Tokyo Olympics.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday heaped praises on the players of Indian men's hockey team individually after they won bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and said for every hockey lover and sports enthusiast, August 5 will remain one of the most memorable days.
Hockey has a special place in the heart and mind of every Indian, he said, tweeting words of praise to the team members.
Lauding team captain Manpreet Singh, PM Modi said, "His 3rd Olympics and a medal he waited years for... Throughout the Games, he led from the front, including during critical moments of the matches. India is proud of the leadership of @manpreetpawar07. A delighted nation thanks him for being the pivot of the team."
He praised goalkeeper Sreejesh P R for spectacular performance throughout the tournament, and said his saves played a big part in earning the medal for India.
Hardik Singh has put in immense effort and distinguished himself as a bright hockey player, the prime minister tweeted and thanked him for all his hardwork and specially for a "critical goal in a crucial match".
Lauding Simranjeet Singh, PM Modi said his contribution will figure prominently when this success of Indian hockey team is remembered. He also praised Krishna Pathak and Varun Kumar.
He similarly tweeted praise for other players of the team, including Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Lalit Upadhyay, Gurjant Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Mandeep Singh, Birendra Lakra, Amit Rohidas, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh.
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 of the ongoing Games on Thursday.
The eight-time former gold-winners, who battled a heartbreaking slump in the last four decades, made the resurgence of the last couple of years count in the best way possible with an Olympic medal.
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