Shillong, Aug 5: Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik extended his “heartiest congratulations” to the Indian men’s hockey team on winning bronze at the Tokyo Olympics earlier today.
This was the first Indian medal in Olympic hockey since 1980, making it a truly worthwhile feat. India claimed bronze by defeating Germany in an extraordinary 5-4 result.
However, what was puzzling is that Raj Bhavan had not issued (as far as TSR is aware) congratulatory messages for the three athletes who had earned medals in this edition of the Games prior to the hockey team’s bronze, namely Mirabai Chanu (silver in weightlifting and only the second Indian to win an Olympic medal in the sport), PV Sindhu (bronze in badminton and the only female Indian athlete to win medals at two successive Olympics) and Lovlina Borgohain (bronze in boxing at her maiden Games).
Perhaps Malik is just a huge hockey fan. His message today was certainly effusive in its praise as he described the hockey medal as a “wonderful feat … after a gap of 41 years”. The release went on to say that the Governor “lauded the efforts of all the players who kept their nerve and played like true sportsmen in the field today with a scintillating display of hockey.”
(Photo: Olympics/Twitter)
