India Advances Towards Hockey Quarter-Finals with 2-0 Win Over Ireland
The Indian men’s hockey team secured a 2-0 victory over Ireland, despite a few defensive lapses, moving closer to the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice in a Pool B match on Tuesday, leading the team to seven points from three matches. India’s performance was dominant in the first half, consistently breaking through the Irish defense, as Ireland was considered the weakest opponent in the pool. However, the second half saw a less convincing performance from India.
India had previously edged out New Zealand 3-2 and held Argentina to a 1-1 draw. Belgium and Australia, both unbeaten with six points each, are set to play each other later in the day. Argentina and New Zealand are likely to compete for the fourth spot in the pool. The top four teams from each pool advance to the quarterfinals.
Harmanpreet scored in the 13th and 19th minutes, while the second half remained goalless despite numerous penalty corners. Ireland missed 10 chances. Defender Jarmanpreet Singh acknowledged the need to improve penalty corner defense, despite not conceding any goals. Sukhjeet Singh noted the team struggled with ball control in the third quarter but improved in the final quarter.
India earned their first penalty corner early in the match, but Harmanpreet’s strike was blocked. A penalty stroke awarded in the 13th minute allowed Harmanpreet to score, followed by a second goal from a penalty corner in the second quarter. Despite India’s aggressive play, many balls were not cleared properly, leading to Ireland earning a controversial penalty corner. PR Sreejesh’s save maintained India’s lead.
