Paris Olympics 2024: Bronze battle in hockey more vicious than gold

WEB DESK: After heart stopping semi-finals of hockey yesterday at Paris Olympics 2024, today India and Spain go against each other for the bronze medal, while Germany and Netherlands will lock horns for the crown of ultimate championship.

The Paris 2024 Olympic hockey tournament began on 27 July and will conclude on 9 August. It features 12 teams each in the men’s and women’s categories, divided into two pools of six teams. After the pool stages, the teams progressed to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finally, the medal matches.

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Here is a brief overview of all four teams scheduled to battle it out on the field tonight. First the top game:

GERMANY VS NETHERLANDS

Germany and the Netherlands have a long-standing rivalry, and they’re set to clash once again in the gold medal match at Paris 2024. Germany, the current world champions, have their eyes on a fifth Olympic gold after defeating India in the semi-finals. They’ve proven they’re a tough team to beat, especially in defence. On the other hand, the Netherlands are riding high after a dominating 4-0 win over Spain in their semi-final. With their women’s team also in the gold medal match, the Dutch are dreaming of a double victory in Paris.

Now on to the bronze battle, which seems to have garnered a lot more interest than the game for gold.

INDIA VS SPAIN

India may have missed out on their ninth Olympic gold after losing to Germany, but they’re still in the hunt for a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. India has had a remarkable tournament and will be eager to end it on a high note.

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Having secured bronze in Tokyo 2020, the team is determined to repeat that success. However, Spain stands in their way, a team that hasn’t won an Olympic medal since their silver at Beijing 2008. Despite their 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in the semi-finals, Spain will be motivated to fight hard under the guidance of their coach, Max Caldas, who led them to a stunning win over Belgium in the quarter-finals.

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According to Indian Express, “Paddy Upton, who has been working with the Indian team as their mental conditioning expert for the past year, faces a crucial task ahead of the bronze medal match”. By all accounts, India should be favourites against Spain.

Although their world rankings are close, India has had an impressive run, with a determined loss to Belgium, a memorable win against Australia, and a strong defensive effort against Great Britain. Even their semi-final loss to Germany was one of the best high-stakes matches India has played in recent years.

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However, this match will come down to the mental acumen and strength in face of pressure, for both teams. If India is still dwelling on their semi-final defeat and doesn’t recover quickly, Spain under Max Caldas could take advantage. Spain has had a turbulent tournament.

They lost 0-4 to Great Britain but then defeated now-finalists Germany 2-0 the next day. After knocking out defending champions Belgium in a thrilling 2-1 quarter-final, they were overwhelmed 0-4 by the Netherlands in the semi-finals. Spain has shown enough quality for India to know they can’t afford a slow start.