The Indian hockey team came up with flying colours in the Hero World League Hockey (HWL) semi-finals at the Olympic Park in London after they beat their arch-rivals Pakistan with a huge margin. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh and Co. thrashed the Pakistani opponents by 7-1 and topped the group B table. India are now all set to take on Netherlands in their next game. The Indian men not only won the game but also paid a tribute to the Indian soldiers martyred across the border in Jammu and Kashmir by putting black bands on their arms.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the stand-in captain of the Indian Hockey team stated that they wanted to convey a message to the people. In Hockey India’s press release, the captain said,”We wanted to win on the field today to show not only our proud nation but all the World that we will stand up and fight for what we believe in through sport.”
Secretary General of Hockey India Mohd Mustaque Ahmad stated,”The players of the Indian Hockey team has always been in support of the Indian Armed Forces who guard the safety of our nation. The soldiers have always made them proud and inspired by their dedication and sacrifice. As sportsmen, the Indian hockey teams have always shown solidarity and compassion towards the soldiers and have often dedicated their victories to the Indian Army. Today, the team strongly felt the need to condole the recent attacks carried out in Jammu & Kashmir where Indian soldiers lost their lives. It was a unanimous decision to wear black armbands to condole these deaths and they wish for peace to prevail in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.”
Skipper @manpreetpawar07 shares his excitement after India’s spectacular win over Pakistan on 18th June!#INDvPAK #HWL2017 pic.twitter.com/gq3Keycowt
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 18, 2017
This is not the first time that the Indian Hockey team has paid homage to the martyred soldiers of the Indian army. Earlier, the goalkeeper of the team, PR Sreejesh dedicated their 2016 Champions Trophy victory to the soldiers as they beat Pakistan in the final.
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