In a much-anticipated semifinal clash at the Paris Olympics 2024, India is set to face Germany in hockey, a rematch of their thrilling bronze medal encounter from Tokyo 2020. Both teams, giants in the world of hockey, promise to deliver another exhilarating match for fans.
India vs Germany: A Historic Rivalry
India and Germany have a rich history of fierce contests. Out of their 18 encounters, India leads with 8 wins to Germany’s 6, and 4 matches have ended in draws. India has scored 41 goals compared to Germany’s 37. Their most recent and memorable face-off was the bronze medal match at Tokyo 2020, where India clinched a dramatic 5-4 victory, thanks to a last-minute save by PR Sreejesh.
In their journey to the Paris semifinals, India pulled off a miraculous win against Great Britain on August 4. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Amit Rohidas received a red card, India held their ground. PR Sreejesh’s outstanding performance in the penalty shootout, where India won 4-2, was instrumental in their advancement. Meanwhile, Germany secured their semifinal spot by defeating Argentina 3-2, with former Argentine player Gonzalo Peillat scoring against his old team.
Other Semifinal Matches
The other semifinal will see the Netherlands face Spain, with both teams having eliminated Tokyo 2020 finalists Belgium and Australia, respectively. This sets up an exciting stage for the final rounds of the hockey tournament.
Lakshya Sen’s Bronze Quest
On August 5, India’s star shuttler Lakshya Sen will vie for the bronze medal in men’s singles badminton. Despite a tough loss to defending champion Viktor Axelsen in the semifinals, Lakshya has had an impressive run and will face Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia. Lakshya holds a strong record against Lee, having won 4 out of their 5 previous encounters. A bronze medal would make Lakshya the first Indian male badminton player to achieve this feat at the Olympics.
Nisha Dahiya and Women’s Table Tennis Team in Action
Day 10 of the Paris Olympics will also mark the start of India’s wrestling campaign, with Nisha Dahiya competing in the women’s freestyle 68kg category. Nisha, a 25-year-old from Haryana, will face Ukraine’s Tetiana Rizhko in the round of 16.
In table tennis, Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath will compete in the women’s team round of 16 against Romania. Both Manika and Sreeja made history by reaching the singles round of 16, and the team will look to build on this success against strong opponents like Bernadette Szocs and Adina Diaconu.
Schedule for Day 10
- 12:30 PM: Shooting – Skeet Mixed Team Qualification (Anant Jeet Singh, Maheshwari Chauhan)
- 1:30 PM: Table Tennis – Women’s Team Round of 16 (Sreeja Akula, Manika Batra, Archana Kamath)
- 3:25 PM: Athletics – Women’s 400m Round 1 (Kiran Pahal)
- 3:45 PM: Sailing – Women’s Dinghy ILCA 6 Race 9 & 10 (Nethra Kumanan)
- 6:00 PM: Badminton – Men’s Singles Bronze Medal Match (Lakshya Sen)
- 6:10 PM: Sailing – Men’s Dinghy ILCA 7 Race 9 & 10 (Vishnu Saravanan)
- 6:30 PM: Shooting – Skeet Mixed Team Bronze/Gold Medal Match (if qualified)
- 6:30 PM: Wrestling – Women’s Freestyle 68kg Round of 16 (Nisha Dahiya)
- 7:50 PM: Wrestling – Women’s Freestyle 68kg Quarterfinals (if qualified)
- 10:34 PM: Athletics – Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Round 1 (Avinash Sable)
- 1:10 AM (August 6): Wrestling – Women’s Freestyle 68kg Semifinals (if qualified)
As the Paris Olympics 2024 progress, Indian athletes continue to inspire and excite, with hopes high for more medals and memorable moments.