Paris 2024 Olympics hockey: Harmanpreet Singh finishes with most ...

9 Aug 2024

Olympics

Captain Harmanpreet Singh emerged as the top goal-scorer en route to India winning the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics hockey tournament.

Harmanpreet Singh scored 10 goals in eight matches in the Paris 2024 men’s hockey tournament, three more than the next best, Australia’s Blake Govers, who slammed the board seven times.

India beat Spain 2-1 at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium in Colombes on Thursday to record their second consecutive bronze medal at the Olympics following Tokyo 2020.

Harmanpreet scored a brace in the bronze medal match as India bounced back from a goal down to secure victory.

"All the credit goes to my team for working hard for me, for making PCs (penalty corners), and all the forward line," said the Indian hockey team captain. "I'm so proud of that. Of course, I'm proud of myself as the captain as well, but the team comes first, always."

Harmanpreet was clinical and proved to be a constant threat from the penalty corners. He scored twice from the PC against Spain to take his tally to seven in the tournament. Three goals also came from penalty strokes.

Besides the group-stage clash against world No. 4 Belgium, Harmanpreet Singh scored in every match for the Indian hockey team at Paris 2024.

The 28-year-old opened his account with a strike just before the final minute to rescue a 3-2 comeback win for India in their campaign opener against New Zealand. He also got on the scoresheet in the next game, a 1-1 draw with Argentina.

He grabbed a brace in a 2-0 victory over Ireland but couldn’t find the net in India’s 2-1 loss to defending champions Belgium. Harmanpreet got back to the scoring charts in India’s 3-2 victory over Australia in their final group-stage game.

The Indian hockey captain scored the only goal for his side in the 1-1 draw with Great Britain as India made the semi-finals after winning the penalty shoot-out. Although he got on the scoresheet and assisted another goal against Germany, Harmanpreet couldn’t prevent a 3-2 loss in the last four.

However, with a bronze medal on the line, Harmanpreet proved decisive from penalty corners and secured the comeback win to clinch back-to-back Olympic medals for India for the first time since 1972.