Manpreet Singh, India captain, reflected on an epic victory against Germany to win the bronze medal, the country’s first hockey prize at the Olympics after 41 years.

“I am speechless,” he said. “After all, there’s been such a long gap since we won a hockey medal at the Olympics. But now with this win, we are motivated to work harder to get into a final,” the Indian captain and midfielder said.

“It’s now time to enjoy the moment but we must get back to the process. After all, it’s not the end but a start for us.”

Manpreet couldn’t avoid talking about the last minute of the match against Germany that felt like an eternity. “The pressure was immense but we defended well. Looking back, we shouldn’t concede that many penalty corners,” said Manpreet, relief personified.

The 29-year-old dedicated the medal to front line warriors in the battle against the Covid pandemic. He then went on to talk about the great challenge ahead in the wake of a heart-breaking semi-final defeat.

The gave insights into the turnaround after despondency threatened to creep in after the 2-5 defeat to Belgium. “It originated in the team chat after our defeat to Belgium in the semi-finals. Our coach (Graham Reid) told us that it’s now history and we can’t change things.

“He told us to focus on winning the bronze medal. It drew positive thoughts from all the players. Everyone agreed wholeheartedly. And the thought of returning home empty handed didn’t feel good.

“ ‘Go for it’ said our coach said. He told us we could do it. Give it your 100 percent and you definitely be on the podium,” Manpreet, who received a congratulatory phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said.

About the bronze medal encounter itself, Manpreet praised the Germans. “They are a great team and we had to fight hard. It’s very difficult to score against them. They led 3-1 but the boys didn’t give up. That was the key,” he said.

“But it was important that we defended well, especially when they pressed hard for the equalizer towards the end,” Manpreet said.

“The sacrifices the team has made have been huge,” the Indian captain said. “We have stayed at the camp in Bengaluru for long periods of time, away from our families.”

But the time to celebrate has arrived. Plans for the same? “Our senior-most player Sreejesh will organize that. We’ll see how it happens when we are back in the Village,” Manpreet revealed.