There was a huge amount of support for the Indian Hockey team in the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, and the team didn’t disappoint them as India defeated New Zealand by the barest of margins, 3-2. The game had its ebbs and flows. Neither team was willing to buckle down. India kept New Zealand under pressure and made a terrific start as Abhishek scored a fine goal, and Dominic Dixon’s deflection didn’t help the Kiwis. But Indian fans’ jubilation was cut short when Vivek Sagar Prasad made a costly error in the circle, giving New Zealand a penalty, and Sam Lane scored the equalizer to bring the game to even. New Zealand tightened up their defense as India was looking to break free.
Similar Posts
India was resilient with its shot selection and eventually got a short corner where Mandeep Singh managed to hit in the rebound, but a brilliant save from the Kiwi Dominic Dixon denied India’s second goal. As the game was moving at a rapid pace, Vivek Sagar scored an outstanding goal to give India the advantage in the 34th minute. New Zealand showed enough determination to come back whenever they were down and out. This time, legendary Simon Child scored a terrific goal through a short corner to bring the scoreline to 2-2. But Harmanpreet Singh, leading from the front as skipper, scored a last-minute goal to win it for India in the opening match against New Zealand.
“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 for the team. 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,” said goalkeeper PR Sreejesh.
