'They're a great team. You can't give away opportunities like that to a fantastic team like that.'
Here are glimpses of the ecstatic Indian hockey team...
India are placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Belgium, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland.
The squad includes goalkeepers PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, and defenders Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Surender Kumar, Jugraj Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, and Gurinder Singh.
Hockey team in search of a new path under coach Fulton
Belgium won their first Olympic men's hockey title, beating Australia 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out after the final finished in a 1-1 draw, in Tokyo, on Thursday.
Indian men's hockey captain P R Sreejesh has been named as one of the candidates for 2016 Goalkeeper of the Year award of the FIH while Harmanpreet Singh made the grade as one of the 2016 Rising Men Star of the Year nominees. The nominees for the 2016 Hockey Stars Awards, the annual prizes recognising the best players, goalkeepers, rising stars, coaches and umpires in a given calendar year were announced during the Hockey Revolution Part 2 Conference of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) which is currently taking place in Dubai.
Former captain Sardar Singh was brought back to bolster the Indian hockey team's mid-field while Birendra Lakra was included to shore up the defence line-up for the upcoming Champions Trophy, beginning on June 23 in Breda, The Netherlands.
With clock ticking down fast for the upcoming edition of the Asian Games, Hockey India named a 39-member core probable group for the Senior Men's National Coaching Camp.
Olympic medal-winning defender Amit Rohidas will continue to lead the Indian men's hockey team in the crucial last leg of the 2021-22 edition of the FIH Pro League
Harmanpreet Singh had also captained the side in the recent series against Australia, where the side fought hard before losing the five-match rubber 1-4.
PR Sreejesh says his dual role as India hockey captain and goalkeeper is to allow his team mates the freedom to express themselves in Rio but knows he must keep them focused on the medal hunt in the "magic world" of the Olympics. The 30-year-old was second choice at London 2012 behind then captain Bharat Chetri but has since established himself as the clear number one. He was named captain for the recent Champions Trophy in London where India rested some seniors, including regular captain Sardar Singh, ahead of the Rio Games.
The Tokyo Olympics produced many, many, many emotional moments for the athletes and their coaches...
