Tokyo 2020: Indian hockey eves create history, enter semifinals for first time

Bengaluru, August 2: The Indian women's hockey team created history by qualifying for the Olympic Games semifinals for the first time, beating three-time champions Australia by a solitary goal at Tokyo 2020 with Gurjit Kaur netting the all-important winner.

A day after the Indian men's team entered the Olympic semifinals following a 49-year gap, the world no. 9 women's side also entered the history books with a phenomenally gritty performance at the Oi Hockey Stadium.

Coming into the match, the odds were totally against India as in world No.2 Australia, a mighty unbeaten opponent, awaited them in the last eight round.

🇮🇳 HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE!!! 🙌#IND beat and knock out world no. 2 #AUS in the quarter-final match of women’s #hockey by 1-0 to seal their spot in SEMI-FINAL for the first time ever! 😍👏#Tokyo2020 | #StrongerTogether | #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/HgBcsHg5Ob

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) August 2, 2021

But the Indians, determined to prove a point, produced a strong and brave performance to eke out the narrow win over the Hockeyroos.

Drag-flicker Gurjit rose to the occasion when it mattered and converted India's lone penalty corner in the 22nd minute to surprise the Australians.

Ye duniya Goal hai!

The winning hit!
Gurjit Kaur scores the winner for #India!
In the semis for the first time.

Gold is now the Goal!#Tokyo2020
🇮🇳🏑#Hockey#Cheer4India#Olympics pic.twitter.com/Mg7RVA7cWR

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 2, 2021

India's best performance in the Olympics came way back in the 1980 Moscow Games where they finished fourth out of six teams.

In that edition of the Games, women's hockey made its debut in the Olympics and the sport was played in a round-robin format with top two teams qualifying for the final.

The Rani Rampal-led side will play Argentina in the semifinal on Wednesday (August 4).

6️⃣0️⃣ minute, ye 6️⃣0️⃣ minute hum hamesha yaad rakhenge. 🇮🇳

The Indian Women's Hockey team are through to the semis. 💙#AUSvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #Tokyo2020 #TeamIndia #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey pic.twitter.com/qjh4ebNUbC

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 2, 2021

The women's team, who are appearing in their second successive Olympics, had a tough start and at one stage they looked like not even making it to the knockout phase.

The began with a 1-5 loss to the Netherlands which was followed by a 0-2 loss to Germany.

Coach Sjoerd Marijne gave a tough dressing down to the team after they lost 1-4 to England.

Tokyo Olympics: Marijne hits out at women hockey players: 'Our worst match'

That seems to have invigorated the eves as they scored back-to-back wins against Ireland (1-0) and South Africa (4-3) to make it to the quarterfinals.

Though not many had given them a chance against Australia, the Rani-led squad proved their mettle against their much-superior opponents.

After appearing in the Olympics for the first time in 36 years at the Rio Games, the Indian women's team has only grown from strength to strength, winning the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy, 2017 Asia Cup, the silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games and reaching the qarterfinals of the 2018 Women's World Cup for the first time in history.

And now comes the biggest test of character and skill as an Olympic glory beckons them.

(With PTI inputs)