The eight-time Olympic champions, who will play in the last four stage at the Games after 49 years, will take on Belgium, who beat Spain 3-1 in another quarter-final earlier.
It is not just the spectators but the players and coach of the Indian hockey team, who are equally disappointed with India losing the right to host of this year's Champions Trophy hockey tournament.
India went down fighting to Argentina 1-2 in the semi-finals of the Olympics women's hockey tournament in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Core to the planning is the rigidly-enforced closed loop that physically separates Games-related personnel from the local population
The Indians were nowhere near their last match performance against Japan as their defence crumbled under relentless pressure from the lower-ranked opposition from the onset of the match.
India outplayed reigning Asian Games champions Japan 7-2 to storm into the final of the FIH Series Finals hockey tournament, in Bhubaneswar, on Friday, assuring themselves a place in the year end's Olympic qualifying event.
India struck four times after a goalless first quarter to tame hosts Malaysia 4-2 and rise to second in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Tuesday.
The match was stopped in the fourth quarter due to heavy rains with around eight minutes left in the match.
India won the women's FIH Series Finals hockey tournament, beating hosts Japan 3-1 in the summit clash in Hiroshima on Sunday.
Striker Mandeep Singh scored a brilliant hat-trick as India outclassed Canada 7-3 to put one foot in the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Wednesday.
The other teams in India's pool are Spain, New Zealand and hosts Japan. The Pool B is made up of Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Canada and South Africa in the groupings announced by world governing body FIH on Saturday.
Hockey: India v Australia, QF
'A dream moment', said the country's sports fraternity in unison as it celebrated the resurgence of Indian hockey at the Tokyo Olympics after the women's team advanced to its first ever semi-final, in Tokyo, on Monday.
Defending champions India, with several experienced players in their ranks, have the upper hand in their opening encounter against Japan in the sixth men's Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament, starting in Hyderabad on Friday. India had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan to clinch the title in the last edition of the event at Karachi four years ago.
Defending champions India pulled off a 3-2 victory over Asian Games gold medalists Japan to enter the final of the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament, in Muscat, on Saturday night. The world No. 5-ranked Indians had to draw on all their experience to overcome the Japanese, whom they demolished 9-0 in the league stage of the tournament earlier.
India must start winning medals in "double digits" in the Olympics if it wants to realise the dream of hosting the 2032 Summer Games, Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra said.
Indian hockey had something to cheer about. Poonam Rani struck twice as India scored an upset victory over higher-ranked China 4-2 in their opening match of the third Asian Women Champions Trophy hockey tournament at Kakamigahara, Japan on Saturday.
Sameer Dad's goal gave Indian Airlines a 1-0 victory over Bharat Petroleum in the final.
Asian Games champions India came from a goal down to clinch an unimpressive 2-1 victory over hard-working Japan on the opening day of the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh on Wednesday. Squandering a series of scoring chances created by defence-splitting crosses that sailed across the goalmouth, India managed to earn full points against the lowly-ranked rivals through goals from young drag flicker Harmanpreet Singh (24th minute) and captain Sardar Singh (32nd) after Kenji Kitazato (17th) gave Japan the lead. Earlier, Pakistan banked on two goals from Muhammad Arslan Qadir to open their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Canada in extremely humid conditions at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium. Qadir opened the account with a field goal in the 27th minute and converted a penalty corner a minute later to give Pakistan a two-goal lead. Canada then pulled one back through Richard Hildreth's flash strike, but Muhammad Arshad capitalised on a 52nd-minute penalty corner to seal Pakistan's victory.
Drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick as India humiliated lowly Oman 9-0 to enter the semi-finals in the eighth junior men's Asia Cup hockey tournament, in Kuantan, Malaysia, on Thursday.
India got off to a winning start in the Commonwealth Games' men's hockey tournament, beating lowly Wales 3-1 on Friday.
Heavy rain since evening delayed the start of the final and even though the skies relented later, but by then the damage had already been done.
Defending champions India were held to a goalless draw by Malaysia but managed to maintain their pole position in the points table in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Muscat.
Brimming with confidence after three consecutive victories, India will have to guard against complacency when they take on hosts Malaysia, a side capable of springing surprises, in the semi-final of the ninth Asia Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Friday.
India muffed chances galore before a deft deflection from Nikkin Thimmaiah enabled them to pip South Korea 2-1 in the 36th Hero Champions Trophy hockey tournament in London.
The Sports Ministry on Tuesday overruled the Sports Authority of India's decision not to clear the Indian men hockey team's trip to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Australia extended their domination in the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament as they bagged their seventh title after a 3-2 win over hosts Malaysia in the summit clash in Ipoh, Malaysia on Sunday.
India's hopes of qualifying for the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament were dashed after they suffered their third defeat in the event, losing 0-2 to defending champions New Zealand in their penultimate round-robin match in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Thursday.
An injury-hit India proved no match to defending champions Australia as they lost 0-3 in a lop-sided semi-final of the Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Melbourne on Saturday.
England pulled off a stunning upset by hammering Olympic champions Germany 4-1 in the Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Melbourne on Sunday, in an encounter that featured two self-goals.
Returning to Champions Trophy hockey tournament after six years, India are confronted with a test of character as they take on England the lung-opener in Melbourne on Saturday, aiming to wipe off bitter memories of their London Olympics debacle.
After posting two impressive wins, India were held to a goalless draw by arch-rivals Pakistan in their third round-robin league match at the Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament in Johor Bahru on Wednesday.
India has been named as one of five confirmed teams for the men's Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Melbourne later this year, thereby ending the nation's six-year wait for a comeback to the prestigious event.
World No 1 Australia reached the final of the Champions Trophy hockey in Auckland on Thursday, scoring a fine 4-2 win over the Netherlands in Pool C.
Already through to the final, defending champions India suffered a shock 3-5 defeat at the hands of Malaysia in their last and inconsequential league match of the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Doha.
Drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh struck twice as India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-2 in a thrilling match and avoided the wooden spoon in the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament Ipoh on Sunday.
A controversial penalty stroke enabled Malaysia to hold India to a 2-2 draw in the final round-robin match of the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Ipoh on Saturday.
India beat Pakistan 3-1 and collected their first points in the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament, in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Tuesday. The former champions, who had to win to stay in the race for a berth in the final after losing to Australia and South Korea earlier, led 2-1 at the breather.
A defensive lapse towards the end cost India dear as they went down 1-2 against South Korea to suffer their second consecutive defeat in the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament, in Ipoh on Sunday.
A young Indian side put up a spirited fight before going down 3-4 to six-time champions Australia in the opening encounter of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament in Ipoh on Saturday.
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