Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced plans to meet with the bronze medal-winning Indian men’s hockey team before September 10th to discuss future strategies for achieving a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Mandaviya praised the team’s performance in Paris, stating, “It’s been a wonderful performance from you guys. We didn’t get the gold, but we came very close to it.” He acknowledged the team’s resilience after their semifinal loss, saying, “The way you guys inspired after the semifinal loss is commendable.”
The minister emphasized the importance of future planning, saying, “But it’s not the end of the road. I will sit with you by September 10th and churn out a future course of action so that we should return with nothing less than gold from Los Angeles.” He expressed his willingness to seek the team’s input and provide all possible government support.
Mandaviya also expressed satisfaction with the overall performance of the Indian contingent in Paris, despite falling short of the medal count from the Tokyo Games. He noted that India won six medals in Paris, including five bronze and one silver, but missed out on seven more by finishing fourth.
“In Tokyo, we won seven medals, but in Paris, we won six,” he said. “But the fact is we missed out on seven more medals by finishing fourth, which is a worthy performance.”
Mandaviya had previously felicitated other members of the hockey team who returned earlier.
