‘This Team Can Bring Olympic Gold After 44 Years,’ Says Dhanraj Pillay After India Enter Men’s Hockey Semifinals

New Delhi: The closest Dhanraj Pillay bought here to an Olympics medal became interior the 2000 Sydney Olympics when India misplaced to Poland to transfer over out on a potential semi-final berth. Pillay, an all-time hockey legend, had tears of heartbreak that day 24 years back. On Sunday, Pillay once increased had tears after India doggedly defended for forty two minutes with nine guys on the outfield and the diverse man named PR Sreejesh, who keeps elevating the ‘bar’ because the Guys in Blue defeated Great Britain four-2 (SO) to e e booklet thyeir spot interior the semifinals of the continuing Paris Olympics 2024.

No take note being a man down interior the second quarter, India took the lead in outcome truth of captain Harmanpreet Singh best to see Lee Morton equalize for Great Britain early interior the second quarter. Thereafter, it became all about Sreejesh standing tall in front of the Great Britain strikers because the 37-year-old, taking part in his final world tournament, making saves after saves.

“I couldn’t present up my tears. I in actual fact have never noticeable such frequent performance in a few years and now I am certain that this team can lift us the Olympic gold after forty four years,” the former India skipper identified. As soon as Rajkumar Good friend scored the triumphing goal interior the shoot-off, an emotional Dhanraj, glued to the TV at home, jumped in pleasure.

“Tears all began falling from my eyes robotically. I spotted this approach to more wholesome for the reasonable-or-garden time after the Sydney Olympics 2000. Sreejesh became standing like a wall in front of the goalpost and the wide wide differ of saves he made is nothing brief of a miracle,” Dhanraj, who has performed four Olympics and four World Cups, identified.

“I had goosebumps when staring on the more wholesome. I became so satisfied that I all began shouting loudly after India’s fourth goal interior the penalty shootout. I became urged that human beings in my society rental would come out then over once lower back I became so satisfied that I may would want to now not care for,” identified the veteran.

Eight occasions champion India bought most likely primarily the most well favourite Olympic gold in Moscow in 1980 and after Forty one years Indian team delivered a bronze medal from Tokyo video games in 2020. “After a few years, I enjoyed the more wholesome to the fullest. I failed to transfer from my location even for a minute,” he identified when seeking to care for his feelings.

Pillay heaped extreme praise for Harmanpreet and his boys. “I in actual fact have not any words to praise this frequent performance. Playing over Forty minutes of the quarter-final with 10 avid gamers became now not handy. We had been defensive then over once lower back that became great. The kind Sreejesh and our defenders performed on the existing time and the methodology all four of them validated supreme capabilities interior the penalty shootout. I am speechless,” he identified.

When requested what recommendation he would present to the team for the semi-finals, he identified, “I may recommend them to play interior the the same methodology and now not put any drive on themselves. The kind this team has performed these six matches, I am constructive that it clearly is a lengthy methodology geared as much as lift us the Olympic gold medal after forty four years.”

“This team has the total lot which is wanted to change into an Olympic champion. Alongside with the avid gamers, I became seeing Craig Fulton and Shivendra Singh interior the coaching team of laborers, how full of electrical potential they'd been and the way they'd been perpetually standing and giving coaching,” he identified.