For the first time in 41 years, India men's hockey team has reached the semi-final after demolishing Great Britain 3-1 on the ongoing Tokyo Olympics on Sunday.
During the game, India had suffered a setback when skipper Manpreet Singh received a yellow card in the dying minutes. However, in the 57th minute, Hardik was able to score, extending India's lead.
Dilpreet Singh got India off the mark early as he netted a goal in the seventh minute of the match. Simranjeet stole the possession and passed through England's defenders to Dilpreet who gave India the lead. Gurjant Singh doubled the lead as he scored right at the start of the second quarter. India maintained the lead and went to the second half of the game with a score of 2-0.
As the game progressed, Sam Ward was able to net a goal in the third quarter for Great Britain. Great Britain won three back-to-back penalty corners and finally converted the last one into the goal.
Despite the goal, India went into the fourth and final quarter with a lead of 2-1 with a thrilling essay on cards for both sides.
In the final quarter, Great Britain tried hard to score a goal after breaching the Indian defence. The side even won a penalty corner but PR Sreejesh made a fine save to keep India on top.
Hardik scored in the closing stages as India defeated Great Britain 3-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics. The team will face Belgium in the semis.
The last time India men's hockey team won a medal was the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games when the team led by V Baskaran won the eight gold medal for India.