Paris: The Indian hockey team has always dominated the Olympic stage. Before Tokyo, the team had lost this legacy somewhere, but once again the era of the Indian hockey team has returned. Now its target is gold, although this path is not so easy. There is a tough challenge from world champion Germany in the semi-final match. India won the bronze medal by defeating Germany in the Tokyo Olympics and now India has a chance to create new history by defeating Germany again.
India is in great form
India’s form has been excellent in this Olympics and it is considered a strong contender for gold. India has won five out of its six matches. The biggest reason for this is PR Sreejesh’s smart goalkeeping and the conversion rate of Indian players to convert penalty corners into goals. The Indian team has improved a lot in this compared to before. The match between Germany and India has been tough so far. Both teams have been seen struggling till the last moment of every match.
India has an edge in statistics
The biggest challenge for India in this important match against Germany on Tuesday will be to overcome its defense, in such a situation the role of the Indian midfielder will be important. Talking about statistics, India has an edge against Germany. So far 18 matches have been played between India and Germany, in which India has won 8 and Germany has won 6 matches. 4 matches were drawn. However, the last match of both was in the Pro-League, where Germany won 3-2.
India last won gold in 1980
India last won gold in 1980 at the Moscow Olympics. This time India has a chance to end the 44-year drought. If India wins the semi-finals, then its silver will be confirmed, which the team won in the Rome Olympics in 1960. Four teams have reached the semi-finals for the hockey event in Paris Olympics 2024. Which includes India, Germany, Netherlands and Spain.
The match will be played at 10:30 pm
Both semi-final matches are to be played on 6 August. The match between Spain and Netherlands will be played at 5:30 pm Indian time. The match between India and Germany will start at 10:30 pm Indian time. In this match, the Indian hockey team will miss star defender Amit Rohidas. The International Federation has banned him for one match.
