Paris: India skipper Harmanpreet Singh once again came to his side’s rescue, scoring a late equaliser to salvage a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Argentina in their second men’s hockey pool match at the Paris Olympics here on Monday.
Lucas Martinez gave Argentina the lead in the 22nd minute before Harmanpreet converted India’s 10th and last penalty corner to pick up a crucial point from the game.
The Indians had defeated New Zealand in their Pool B opener on Saturday.
Lucas Martinez helped Argentina score their first goal of the Paris Olympics as India are 0-1 down in the first half. India have created good chances but failed to convert it. They also lacked a killer instinct in the four penalty corners they got and trailed behind after first 30 minutes. Harmanpreet Singh and Co. look to bank on their winning momentum when they clash against Argentina in their second Pool B match in Paris Olympics 2024. India edged past New Zealand 3-2 in their opening match. It was skipper Harmanpreet who rose on the occasion with a goal through a penalty stroke in the dying minutes of the match to help India start their Olympics campaign with a win.
The Asian Giants played with positive intent and put pressure on the New Zealand side with their aggressive approach towards the goal, while PR Sreejesh also made some stunning saves in the goal to keep India in the game. Despite conceding an early goal, the Indian players didn’t let their shoulders down and put up a strong fightback to get the crucial points.
World number 7-ranked Argentina started their Olympics campaign started their campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Australia. They will be raring to get their first win and pose a big threat to the Indian team who are riding high on confidence.
It was goals by Mandeep Singh (24′), Vivek Sagar Prasad (34′) and Harmanpreet Singh (59′) that ensured a strong start for India in Pool B, which includes reigning Olympic champions Belgium, Australia, Ireland and Argentina.
Meanwhile, the Indian hockey team’s never-say-die mentality was on full display against New Zealand as they bounced back twice in the 60 minutes of play to stay in the hunt.
The start was enthralling, playing in front of a packed audience at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium. India looked dominant in the opening quarter, controlled the ball possession and came up with bursts of attack led by Olympic debutant Abhishek creating all sorts of problems for New Zealand early in the game. He even came up with a fantastic shot on goal, but New Zealand goalie Dominic Dixon made a strong save.
In the final minutes of the second half, Sukhjeet Singh earned a penalty corner with his smart play, which resulted into another set-piece move. The second penalty corner turned into a penalty stroke for India after the dragflick from Harmapreet hit Child on the body. The Indian skipper made no mistake in ensuring the vital win for his team.
“The first match in the Olympics is never easy. New Zealand is not an easy team. We made some mistakes, but there were a few good things as well. It’s a good wake up call,” Sreejesh said. “We got three points and that’s what is important. We gave them opportunities and they converted. The last few minutes were not easy but in hockey it’s always like that, from the first whistle to the last, there is tension,” he said.
