India Advances to Semifinals After Dramatic Shootout Victory Over Great Britain

In a thrilling match, India beat Great Britain in a penalty shootout to advance to the semifinals. The match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of regular time, but India, led by Harmanpreet Singh, won the shootout 4-2.

The game began with a 0-0 tie in the first quarter. However, in the second quarter, India faced a significant challenge when Amit Rohidas received a red card, leaving India to play with only 10 players for the rest of the match. Despite this setback, captain Harmanpreet Singh scored a penalty corner goal, giving India a 1-0 lead. Great Britain quickly equalized with a goal from Lee Morton, making it 1-1 by halftime.

Great Britain applied heavy pressure in the third quarter but couldn’t break the deadlock. The score remained 1-1 at the end of the third quarter. The match ended in a tense 1-1 draw after regular time, leading to a penalty shootout to decide the semifinalists.

In the shootout, India triumphed 4-2. This victory was reminiscent of their Tokyo 2020 quarterfinals win against Great Britain, where they also secured a 3-1 win and went on to win a bronze medal. Earlier in the tournament, India achieved a historic 3-2 win over Australia, their first Olympic victory against them in 52 years, dating back to the 1972 Munich Olympics.

India’s performance in the group stage was strong, with victories over New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia. They finished second in Pool B, behind Olympic champions Belgium. Meanwhile, Great Britain, ranked world No. 2, finished third in Pool A. In the other quarterfinals, Belgium will face Spain, Australia will compete against the Netherlands, and Germany will play against Argentina.