Olympics 2024: Quarters Berth Sealed, Indian Men's Hockey Team Set For First Real Test Against Belgium

Assured of a quarterfinal berth, India will aim for consistency when they take on reigning champions Belgium in their tough penultimate Pool B match of the Olympic Games in Paris on Thursday. The Red Lions are leading Pool B with three wins from as many matches, while the Indians are a rung below in the second place with two wins and a draw. Mighty Australia are placed third with seven points from two wins and a loss. Argentina have also qualified for the quarterfinals with four points from three games, which includes a win, a draw and a loss.

New Zealand and Ireland are out of the race after suffering three consecutive losses. Only the top four can make the last-eight stage cut.

The Indians started their campaign on a shaky note with a close 3-2 win over New Zealand and then scored a last-minute goal to salvage a draw against former champions Argentina.

But against Ireland, it was a completely different performance from the Indians, at least in the first two quarters. They dominated the possession with one-touch play to score two goals in the first quarter which proved vital in the end.

India skipper Harmanpreet Singh once again rose to the occasion, first converting a penalty stroke and then finding the net from a set piece in the second quarter to hand his side the win.

The Indian mid-field, led by veteran and four-time Olympian Manpreet Singh and vice-captain Hardik Singh, also brought their A game to the table, creating several chances for the forward-line.

The likes of Mandeep Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, Gurjant Singh and Sukhjeet Singh sparkled upfront by keeping the pressure on the opposition defence.

Against Ireland on Tuesday, India opted for one-to-one short passes to build their attacks, instead of going for