India have beaten Germany 5-4 to to win an Olympic medal in men's hockey after 41 years. The thrilling victory is the result of a young Indian side's dogged performance, writes sports journalist Harpal Singh Bedi.
"Impossible is nothing" legendary boxer Muhammad Ali once said.
The Indian men's hockey team relived that epic quote as they staged an incredible fightback - from being down 1-3 they went on to beat Germany 5-4 to claim an Olympic bronze.
India lost only two matches in Tokyo and the teams they lost to - Australia and Belgium - are playing each other in the final.
India's showing offers hope after decades for men's hockey. The team has won eight Olympic gold medals, making it the most successful team ever, but the last gold was won in 1980 in Moscow.
But the path to the bronze in Tokyo was somewhat of a rollercoaster.
India finished second in its group with four wins, some more emphatic than others (3-2 against New Zealand, 3-0 against Spain, 3-1 against Argentina and 5-3 against Japan) and one humiliating 1-7 defeat at the hands of Australia.
India beat Great Britain 3-1 in the quarter-finals, sparking fresh hope, but lost 2-5 to Belgium in the semi-final.
Thursday's win, however, was an edge-of-the-seat affair. Simranjeet Singh's two goals (17', 34'), and one apiece from Hardik Singh (27'), Harmanpreet Singh (29') and Rupinder Pal Singh (31') were just as crucial as PR Sreejesh's outstanding saves in the dying seconds of the game.
(Source: BBC news website, headline composed by Newsroom, photo from Google)
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