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Tokyo Olympics: India lose 2-5 to Belgium in men's hockey semi-final, will compete for bronze next

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Aug 03, 2021, 08:58 AM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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India will next play for a third-place finish on Thursday. 

Indian men's hockey team lost the semi-final clash against Belgium 2-5 on Tuesday (August 3) at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics 2020. Belgium's Alexander Hendrickx scored a stunning hat-trick to take his side into the gold medal match for the second Olympics in succession. India will next play for a third-place finish on Thursday. 

Both the teams were off to a thrilling start to the first quarter as India scored two goals back-to-back after Belgium take a 2-1 lead after the Men in Blue conceded an early goal with Loick Luyaert scoring through a penalty corner. For India, Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh were on the score sheet in Q1.

In the second quarter, the tournament's top scorer Alexander Hendrickx produced a brilliant penalty corner drag-flick and struck into the left corner to level 2-2 against India. In the last moments of Q2, India won a penalty corner but Harmanpreet's drag-flick went wide of the target. 

In the third quarter, India won a penalty corner, but the Belgium team defended it well as the score was 2-2 at the end of Q3. Both the teams were brilliant with their defending in the third quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, Belgium took the lead 3-2 after Hendrickx scored another unstoppable penalty corner. Hendrickx went on to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot, and Belgium got a two-goal lead 4-2 when seven minutes were left to play. With six seconds left, John-John Dohmen of Belgium scored another goal for his side as he passed into an open goal, taking the lead to 5-2, which remained the final score of the India vs Belgium semi-final clash. 

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Previously, India had booked a place in the semi-final through a 3-1 win against Great Britain in the quarterfinals This was their first semis since 1972. On the other hand, Belgium defeated Spain 3-1 to enter the semi-final of the event.