India’s nationwide hockey workforce was again on residence turf after heartbreak on the Paris Olympics, internet hosting Germany for a two-match bilateral sequence in New Delhi’s Main Dhyan Chand Stadium.
New Delhi: India’s captain Harmanpreet Singh in motion in the course of the first males’s hockey match of a two-match sequence between India and Germany, (PTI)
The workforce fell to a 2-0 loss within the first match in opposition to the Germans, because the guests fell to a fourth-minute objective after which a late second quarter objective. India created a bunch of probabilities, however had been unable to transform as their guests held on sturdy to maintain their noses forward.
There was a heartwarming second following the top of the match, nevertheless, as India’s gamers took a second with the house followers regardless of the loss. India skipper Harmanpreet Singh was interacting with followers within the stands, and even took a second to take a child from a mum or dad who had come to observe the workforce play at Dhyan Chand Stadium.
The cute video sees Harmanpreet take the newborn in his arms and play with it for just a few seconds, earlier than climbing up onto a chair and returning the kid again to the daddy, who could be heard thanking Harmanpreet for the memorable second.
India search revenge in opposition to Germany
Harmanpreet, who has been captain of the Indian workforce since 2022 however has been established as one of many best drag-flickers on the planet, was one of many heroes of the workforce’s run to the bronze medal within the Paris Olympics this 12 months.
He completed because the top-scorer of the lads’s event throughout all groups, hammering in 10 targets. Out of those, seven had been from penalty corners, the place he’s thought-about a specialist, whereas three had been from penalty strokes.
Nonetheless, there was a component of heartbreak as India fell to a slim 3-2 loss in opposition to Germany within the semifinals in a back-and-forth recreation the place they couldn’t take their alternatives. They returned to defeat Spain within the third-place match to safe a second consecutive bronze medal on the Olympics.
India returned for matches on residence turf for the primary time in 8 months, final having performed a set of FIH Professional League matches in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in February this 12 months. Most just lately, they ran out victors within the Asian Champions Trophy event in China, beating their hosts within the finals to seal a fifth victory in that event.
India and Germany will wrap up their sequence with a second match on 24 October, as soon as once more in Delhi, with Harmanpreet and co. seeking to equalise on residence turf.