The Indian men’s hockey team’s undefeated run at the Paris 2024 Olympics came to an end on Thursday as they suffered a 1-2 loss to the defending champions, Belgium.
India started strong, taking the lead in the 18th minute thanks to a well-executed solo run by Abhishek, who capitalized on a mistake by Arthur de Sloover in the Belgian half. The Indian team held onto their lead for a significant portion of the match, but the Red Lions fought back and equalized in the 33rd minute through a goal by Thibeau Stockbroekx.
The momentum shifted decisively in favor of Belgium eleven minutes later. John-John Dohmen put his team ahead after successfully converting a shot past Indian goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, who had initially saved a penalty corner attempt.
Despite the loss, India remains in second place in Group B with seven points after four matches. They are trailing Belgium, who have secured all four victories in the group. The Harmanpreet Singh-led team had previously won their opening match against New Zealand 3-2 before drawing 1-1 against Argentina. They bounced back in their third match with a 2-0 win over Ireland.
With their place in the quarterfinals already secured, India, the bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, will face Australia in their final Pool B match on Friday at 4:45 PM IST. The match will be crucial for determining their seeding in the knockout stages and will also offer an opportunity for them to regain their winning form.
