COLOMBES, France — The Netherlands won the gold medal in men’s field hockey at the Paris Olympics on Friday night, defeating Germany 2-1 in a dramatic shootout. This victory marks the Netherlands’ first Olympic gold in men’s field hockey since 2000 and their third overall in the sport.
The final, held at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, was tense from start to finish. The match was briefly interrupted in the second half when a sprinkler unexpectedly turned on, spraying water along the sideline and onto the field just over three minutes into the third quarter. The incident was quickly resolved, and the game resumed after a short delay, with the crowd cheering as the water was turned off.
The brief interruption seemed to add a spark to the match, which had been a scoreless defensive struggle up until that point. Early in the fourth quarter, Dutch captain Thierry Brinkman broke the deadlock with a tap-in goal after a brilliant run by Koen Bijen through the German defense. The Netherlands almost extended their lead moments later, but Germany’s Gonzalo Peillat made a crucial deflection, preventing the ball from reaching the net.
Germany responded quickly, with Thies Prinz scoring off a penalty corner just over three minutes after Brinkman’s goal, tying the game at 1-1. The Netherlands had a chance to secure the win in regulation with a penalty corner in the final minute, but Jip Janssen’s shot missed the target, sending the match into a shootout.
In the shootout, the Netherlands held their composure. Brinkman, Thijs van Dam, and Duco Telgenkamp each scored for the Dutch, while goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak made crucial saves, including one that required a re-do. Telgenkamp’s goal sealed the victory, igniting celebrations among the Dutch players and fans in the stands.
However, the postgame celebrations were briefly disrupted when Germany’s Niklas Wellen, frustrated by Telgenkamp’s exuberant celebration, confronted him, leading to a scuffle that officials quickly broke up.
This victory gives the Netherlands their first men’s field hockey Olympic title in 24 years and positions them to potentially sweep both the men’s and women’s gold medals for the first time since the women’s tournament was introduced in 1980. The Dutch women’s team is set to compete against China for the gold later on Friday.
Earlier in the day, India secured the bronze medal in men’s field hockey for the second consecutive Olympics, defeating Spain 2-1. This continues India’s resurgence in the sport, having won their first medal since 1980 at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
“We’ve made history again,” said India’s captain Harmanpreet Singh, who scored the decisive goal. “It’s a proud moment for India and for hockey.”
Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh announced his retirement at age 36 after the match, expressing confidence in his decision. “Everyone asks me, ‘Why now?’” he said. “But the best advice I received was that when you retire, people should ask ‘Why?’ not ‘Why not?’ This is the right time for me.”
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