Hockey India announces Rs 15 lakh reward for Harmanpreet and Co after historic bronze at Olympics

Hockey India announces cash prizes for Indian Men's Hockey Team

After a series of near misses and the bitterness caused due to Vinesh Phogat's disqualification, the Indian men's hockey team certainly lifted the mood of the nation on Thursday evening. The Harmanpreet Singh-led unit defeated Spain 2-1 to secure a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, taking India's total medal tally to four. This was India's second straight bronze at the Olympics, having won previously in Tokyo three years ago. This was also first time India won medals in hockey in consecutive editions in 52 years, with the previous being in the 1968 and 1972 Games.

Following the victory, Hockey India, the Indian governing body of the sport, announced a cash prize of Rs 15 lakhs to each players, and Rs 7.5 lakhs each to every member of the support staff.

The Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, also a former player himself, lauded the team's historic performance. "This victory is a testament to the hard work, determination, and resilience of our players and support staff. Winning back-to-back Olympic medals is an extraordinary achievement that reflects the resurgence of Indian hockey on the world stage. On behalf of Hockey India, I congratulate the entire team and support staff for their exceptional performance and dedication. The cash prizes are a token of our appreciation for their relentless pursuit of excellence," Tirkey was quoted as saying saying in a press release shared by Hockey India on Thursday night.

Former India skipper Manpreet Singh earlier said that the bronze medal was dedicated to India's experienced custodian PR Sreejesh. This was Sreejesh's final match before retirement and he couldn't have asked for a fitting farewell. Hailing Sreejesh's stellar career, the Hockey India president said: "I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to PR Sreejesh for his stellar career and invaluable contributions to Indian hockey. His legacy will inspire future generations."

India started the semifinal match on an aggressive note but found themselves trailing early in the second quarter. Marc Miralles broke the deadlock in the 18th minute after Spain were awarded a penalty stroke. The Spaniard hammered the ball past PR Sreejesh into the top corner.

However, Harmanpreet Singh and Co. got the team back on level terms right at the stroke of halftime after Manpreet Singh sent the ball inside the circle, which bounced and hit the foot of a Spanish defender, following which India got a penalty corner. With a little over 20 seconds left on the clock, Harmanpreet connected a strong dragflick, that went like a rocket beating the Spanish defenders and goalkeeper on its way.

The skipper then gave India an early lead in the second half, almost in a similar fashion. Spain then scored a goal in the 40th minute but it was cancelled after a video referral by the official.