Paris Olympics 2024 | "I couldn’t stop my tears": Dhanraj Pillay on Team India's semi-final qualification

Dhanraj Pillay

Dhanraj Pillay had tears of heartbreak when India missed out on a potential semi-final berth at Sydney Olympics conceding a goal against Poland in the dying moments after leading for 69 minutes. That was closest that Dhanraj, an all-time hockey great had come to an Olympic medal.

On Sunday, as India doggedly defended for 42 minutes with nine men on the outfield and the special man named PR Sreejesh, who keeps raising the "bar", the former centre forward couldn't hold back his tears watching his team make it to the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics. "I couldn't stop my tears. I have never seen such performance in many years, and now I am convinced that this team can bring us the Olympic gold after 44 years," the former India skipper said.

As soon as Rajkumar Pal scored the winning goal in the shoot-off, an emotional Dhanraj, glued to the TV at home, jumped in joy. "Sreejesh was standing like a wall in front of the goalpost and the number of saves he made is nothing short of a miracle," Dhanraj, who has played four Olympics and four World Cups, said.

Indians in action today

Badminton
Men's singles (bronze medal playoff): Lakshya Sen v Zii Jia Lee (Malaysia)... 18:00

Shooting
Skeet mixed team (qualification): Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka... 12:30

Also Read: IND vs SL 2nd ODI: Jeffrey Vandersay's six-wicket haul helps Lanka take a lead in the series

Table tennis
Women's (pre-quarterfinal): India v Romania... 13:30

Sailing
Women's Dinghy (opening series): Race 9 - Nethra Kumanan... 15:45
Women's Dinghy (opening series): Race 10 - Nethra Kumanan... 16:53
Men's Dinghy (opening series): Race 9 - Vishnu Saravanan... 18:10
Men's Dinghy (opening series): Race 10 - Vishnu Saravanan... 19:15

Athletics
Women's 400m (Round 1): Kiran Pahal (Heat 5)... 15:57
Men's 3,000m steeplechase (Round 1): Avinash Sable (Heat 2)... 22:50

X Talk

PT Usha@PTUshaOfficial: A well earned victory for Team India and Sreejesh, the ‘Wall of Hockey' for a great game! All our best wishes and blessings to the entire team for the next match. #JeetKiAur #Cheer4Bharat #Paris2024 #Hockey

Ravi Shastri@RaviShastriOfc: Wow. Not a game for the faint hearted. What character to defend with 10 men for that long. @16Sreejesh You beauty. You are the best in the business. #INDvsGBR #Hockey @TheHockeyIndia

Kiren Rijiju@KirenRijiju: A Sensational Shootout! Bharat's men's hockey team outplayed Great Britain to reach the #Paris2024 semi-finals! In a supercharged match filled with breathtaking moments, our athletes showcased extraordinary talent & grit. Their performance is setting the stage for an unforgettable finish. Best of luck for the semi-finals - bring home the glory!

Saina Nehwal@NSaina: Congratulations to the Indian hockey team on their thrilling quarterfinal win against Great Britain in the Olympics! Your hard work and determination have brought us this far, and we look forward to your outstanding performance in the semifinals. Keep making us proud!

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