India midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad: We were determined

India midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad says Last-4 loss to Belgium fuelled ambition to beat Germany and return from Tokyo Games with a medal

Vivek Sagar Prasad, who was part of the bronze medal-winning Indian hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics, revealed that they were extremely hurt after their semi-final loss but were determined not to return home empty-handed.

The Graham Reid-coached team lost to Belgium 2-5 in their Last-4 encounter before defeating Germany 5-4 in the bronze medal match to win an Olympic medal after 41 years.

Somber mood

“The mood in the team after the semi-final loss felt as if we had lost someone in the family. Everyone was very quiet. In the evening, our seniors spoke to us and told us that we are not going to India empty-handed. Whatever the Germans team dishes out, we will give our best and change history,” Vivek, 21, told mid-day from Bhopal on Thursday.

Graham Reid. Pic/PTI

The young midfielder from Itarsi, a city in Madhya Pradesh, played a crucial role in India’s 3-1 win over Argentina in their group match. With teams levelled at 1-1, Vivek scored in the dying moments to give India the lead and turn the match in the team’s favour.    

Crucial tie

“It was a crucial tie considering we were so close to getting into the knockouts. The coach had told me to time my run well and be prepared whenever the ball came to me. We knew Argentina were capable of scoring on counter-attacks, so when I scored to take the lead, it put them on the back foot and put us in control of the match,” said the 2020 FIH Rising Player of the Year.

Despite the history-making feat at Tokyo, the Men in Blue had to face a reality check when they were hammered 1-7 by the Australians in their second group match.
Vivek said the defeat dealt a crushing blow to the team’s morale, but it was coach Reid’s mantra of looking forward that helped revive the team’s confidence. 

Coach Reid’s mantra

“We had suffered such a massive defeat after a long time. The loss made us aware that we cannot take any match or any opponent for granted. The coach told us to stop focussing on that match and look forward to improving in the coming matches. He instilled in us the mindset to look ahead and it helped us a lot,” said Vivek, who was a member of the 2018 Asian Games bronze medal-winning Indian team.

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