Tokyo 2020: ‘India’s semi-final will feel like a gold medal match’

This is such a big, big victory for Indian hockey. I’m just so incredibly proud of this bunch of boys. They have done a brilliant job. To reach a semi-final at the Olympics after more than four decades is such a significant achievement. I’m really happy with the way this team has gone about its performance in Tokyo.

No doubt, it took a lot of time to reach this stage. Right from the 1972 Olympics (when India last reached the semi-final stage) to now, we used to send our best team to the Games. But somehow, the team could not qualify for the semi-finals. We were close but we could not make it. The format, too, has changed. In my time, two teams from the groups would progress from the knock-outs; now four advance. But even in the group stage in Tokyo, this Indian team showed a lot of positivity and intent in its matches. The team got that one bad result (1-7 against Australia) out of the way and has bounced back well after that.

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In the quarter-final against Great Britain, India got an early first goal, which was so crucial. And in the second quarter, we were up again within 20 seconds of the start. The timing of both those goals, especially the first one, set the tone for the rest of the match. In was only in the last quarter that Great Britain created a few attacks in our circle.

Every team that has come to the Olympics has come there to win, come there on the back of a lot of hard work spread across almost five years now. And in the last year and a half, the situation has been far from normal with the pandemic and the lockdowns. But despite these challenges, India has delivered. Which is what makes this feat all the more creditable. The team has stuck together in these times, got the support that it needed and delivered when it mattered.

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Now for the semi-final, which will already feel like a gold medal match! Belgium is a tough team. The players looked very composed out on the field in their semi-final (against Spain). The world champions showed their quality. We’ll have to change a bit in terms of our game plan —when to slow down the game, when to pick it up, when to keep the ball with a string of quality passes; all of that will be really important. You cannot play 60 minutes of fast hockey against them. In their semi-final, Belgium were playing controlled hockey in the first two quarters, and then upped its attacking game in the next two. And they were all composed and structured attacks, not hurried.

But we too have our strengths, although we will have to be cautious about the cards. But I am confident that India will give a tough fight to Belgium. Not just fight, we can win too.

With PV Sindhu also winning her second straight Olympic medal, it was a happy day for Indian sport. Sunday was a big day for Indian hockey. Tuesday could be an even bigger day.

(As told to Rutvick Mehta)

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