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Paris: India’s triumph over Australia in Paris on Friday marked their first Olympic men’s hockey victory since 1972, securing them a second-place finish in Pool B and a quarterfinal berth against Great Britain as the pool fixtures wrapped up on Friday, setting the stage for the last eight.
The quarterfinal lineup, determined by the respective ranks in Pools A and B, is as follows: Germany vs. Argentina, Belgium vs. Spain, Netherlands vs. Australia, and India vs. Great Britain.
The quarterfinal match for India is set for 1:30 pm IST on August 4.
In the final pool stage match, Germany clinched a win against Britain. Striker Christopher Ruehr netted the first goal in the 19th minute with a strike from the top of the circle. Ruehr also converted a penalty stroke into a second goal for Germany.
In Pool A, the Netherlands orchestrated an impressive comeback to overcome Spain 5-3. Down 2-1 at halftime, the Dutch rallied after the break, with two players scoring twice each in the second half to lead their team to victory.
India ascended to second place in Pool B with a 3-2 win over Australia. Early strikes in the first quarter by forward Abhishek and captain Harmanpreet Singh provided the edge India needed to clinch the win.
Argentina and top-ranked Belgium ended in an exhilarating 3-3 tie. Belgian striker Thibeau Stockbroekx scored the equalizing goal in the final moments amid a scramble at the net, thrilling the lively spectators.
In additional matches, Ireland overcame New Zealand 2-1, and South Africa bested host France 5-2. These wins represented the first for both Ireland and South Africa in the tournament, though all four teams were no longer in contention for medals.
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