Hockey in 2024: Consecutive Olympic medals, Sreejesh, HIL make headlines

Back-to-back Olympic medals after a hiatus of 50 years and the revival of the much-awaited HIL lit up the year for Indian hockey which also saw one of its biggest stars walk into sunset after a glorious career. With their third-place finish in the Paris Olympics this summer, the Harmanpreet Singh-led men's team proved that the historic bronze in the Tokyo Games three years ago was not a flash in the pan.

The medal ensured the legendary PR Sreejesh, one of the team's biggest pillars for nearly two decades, got the send-off he deserved after he decided to retire from the sport. That he is now associated with the junior teams bodes well for Indian hockey as it seeks more success in the coming times. Before Tokyo and Paris, the last time the Indian hockey team won successive Olympic medals was at 1968 Mexico City and 1972 Munich Games.

Under chief coach Craig Fulton, the Indians had to alter their playing style, concentrating more on defence and relying on counters to build fast-paced attacks, and the players embraced the approach before the big event came calling. The Indians played fearless hockey throughout the Games and the win against Great Britain in the quarterfinals, with 10 men, was a reflection of the players' mental toughness.

India played with a man less for nearly 43 minutes and eventually won the match in shoot-out thanks to resolute defending and PR Sreejesh's brilliance under the bar to progress to a second straight Olympic semifinals. It was not just about defending, Fulton's team also showed their attacking prowess to stun mighty Australia 3-2 in their final pool game, ending a 52-year wait for a win over the formidable Kookaburras in the Olympics.

That victory held great significance as it came against a side which mauled them 5-0 in a Test series Down Under earlier this year. India's hopes of playing an Olympic final were dashed by Germany in a close contest but, within 24 hours, they regrouped and beat Spain 2-1 to clinch another podium finish, showing sings of a bright future.

Star performers: Many stars sparkled and some new ones emerged in the year gone by but none can come close to what old warhorse Harmanpreet and Sreejesh did for the team. The duo complemented each other on the field and played a massive role in the team's success.

While Sreejesh was as solid as ever in front of the post in his final hurray, Harmanpreet was sturdy in the backline and ferocious with his dragflicks, finishing as the top scorer in Paris with 10 strikes from eight games. Harmanapreet's exploits throughout the year, especially in Paris, won him his third FIH Male Hockey Player of the Year award.

Among women, young Deepika emerged as a bright spot in 2024 and she not only is a fine striker but also a potent dragflicker. Sreejesh's retirement: Nicknamed 'The Wall of Indian hockey', Sreejesh has worked on his craft every day to become one of the world's top goalkeepers. So when he announced his decision to retire after the Games just after reaching Paris, it came as a shock for the entire sports fraternity.

In his final hurray also, he never put a foot wrong, making saves after saves to keep India in the hunt. Revival of HIL: The much-anticipated revival of the Hockey India League after a gap of seven years was the icing on the cake for the national sport as the event has been the biggest feeder line for players in the past, producing stars like Harmanpreet, Manpreet Singh and many others.

The league also provides young Indian players the chance to rub shoulders with the best of world hockey. This year the HIL has come in a new look with the introduction of a four-team women's event alongside eight-team men's league. While the men's league will be held in Rourkela from December 28, the women will play in Ranchi from January 12.

Rani Rampal hangs up her boots: Another big retirement of the year was that of the undisputed queen of Indian women's hockey, Rani Rampal, which brought the curtains down on a 14-year long illustrious career.

Women team's failure to qualify for Paris: The lowest point came at the beginning of the year when the women's team failed to qualify for the Paris Games through the Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi. It led to widespread changes in the team, with stalwart Harendra Singh taking over the coaching duties from Janneke Schopman. But the year ended on a good note for both the men and women as they claimed the Asian Champions Trophy titles in Hulbuir, China and Rajgir, Bihar respectively, raising hopes of a bright future. PTI