Paris 2024: Skipper Singh’s last-moment 'penalty' saves India from getting ‘cornered’ against NZ

India and New Zealand crossed swords in the thrilling campaign opener in the men’s hockey competition in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. After a lot of unforced errors, the men in blue finally managed to get the better of the Kiwis in the last moments of the game courtesy of skipper Harmanpreet Singh’s goal in a penalty stroke. 

However, the game didn’t come up with a lot of good things for Harmanpreet Singh’s men as they conceded a total of 9 penalty corners across the four quarters of the game. After a lot of effort and seven saves from PR Sreejesh-led defence, India still conceded both of the two goals in the penalty corners.  

The Black Sticks Men managed to convert their first penalty corner into a goal only in the 8^th minute of the match when the forward Sam Lane dodged the Indian defence with a brilliant drag flick.

India heaved a sigh of relief when forward Mandeep Singh came up with an amazing equalizer in a penalty corner; he converted it into a goal to level the score line in the 24^th minute of the game. New Zealand got another blow in the second quarter when forward and substitute, Inglis Hugo was given a green card by the referee.

Harmanpreet Singh helps India repeat Tokyo scoreline in Paris 2024

Later in the initial minutes of the third quarter, India’s Vivek Prasad’s brilliant excellence in a field goal took India into a 2-1 lead. The moment came in the 34^th minute of the game. Just after this goal, there came 2 ‘nightmarish’ minutes for the Indian camp when they conceded 4 consecutive penalty corners. It was the excellence of the goalkeeping veteran PR Sreejesh who saved all of these four penalty corners followed by saving the fifth one in the 44^th minute.

Another concern hit the Indian camp and the fans in the 53^rd minute of the match when New Zealand’s senior forward Simon Child scored an equalizer to level the score-line 2-2.

However, in a stroke of luck for the Indian camp, the men in blue earned two penalty corners within 2 minutes in the 58^th and 59^th minute in the fourth quarter. It ended up giving India a Penalty stroke, which was taken by skipper Harmanpreet Singh.

Skipper Singh finally managed to leave Kiwi goalkeeper Dixon Dominic in a fumble and scored a winning goal for India.