PARIS: The Indian men's hockey team suffered its first defeat of Paris Olympics, losing 1-2 to defending champions Belgium in their fourth Pool B encounter.
India started strong, capitalising on a defensive error by Belgium's Arthur de Sloover in the 18th minute. The mistake allowed Indian forward Abhishek to make a solo run, expertly placing the ball into the bottom-right corner of the Belgian goal, giving India a 1-0 lead.
However, Belgium found their equaliser in the 33rd minute. Thibeau Stockbroekx scored a crucial goal to level the match at 1-1.
The game took a decisive turn eleven minutes later, in the 44th minute, when Belgian veteran John-John Dohmen capitalised on a rebound after a penalty corner. Indian goalkeeper P R Sreejesh made an initial save but couldn't prevent Dohmen from scoring, putting Belgium ahead 2-1.
Despite India's best efforts to find another goal, the Belgian defense held firm. The loss places India second in Pool B with seven points from four matches, while Belgium sits at the top of the group with a perfect record of four wins.
Already assured of a spot in the quarterfinals, the Harmanpreet Singh-led squad will now turn their focus to their final Pool B match against Australia, scheduled for Friday at 4:45 pm IST.
The Indian team began their Olympic campaign with a narrow 3-2 victory over New Zealand, followed by a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Argentina. In their third match, the team secured a solid 2-0 win over Ireland, setting them up as strong contenders in the pool.