India defeats Australia in Men's hockey after 52 years

India secured a landmark victory over Australia in men’s hockey at the Paris 2024 Olympics, ending a 52-year wait for an Olympic win against their fierce rivals. The match concluded with a 3-2 win for India, propelling them into the quarterfinals with renewed confidence.

Harmanpreet Singh was the standout performer, scoring twice, while PR Sreejesh’s remarkable goalkeeping played a crucial role in the victory. India’s last Olympic triumph over Australia came at the Munich Games in 1972, making this win a historic moment for Indian hockey.

The match began with India on the offensive. Abhishek opened the scoring in the 12th minute, quickly followed by a penalty corner goal from Harmanpreet. Despite intense pressure from the Australian side, Sreejesh’s adept saves kept India ahead. Harmanpreet extended the lead with another goal in the third quarter. Australia fought back with a goal from Blake Govers but ultimately fell short.

Australia, having won all seven previous encounters with India this year, applied relentless pressure but could not break through the Indian defense in the dying minutes. Despite their attempts to equalize, including a late game tactic of using a flying goalkeeper, they could not find a way past Sreejesh.