For the first time in the Olympics, the Indian women’s hockey team made history by qualifying for the semi-finals. India overcame world no. 2 Australia thanks to Gurjit Kaur’s goal from a penalty corner in the second quarter. For the first time in Olympic history, the Indian women’s team advanced to the knockout stages. In reality, the odds were stacked against India going into the match, as world no. 2 Australia, a formidable unbeaten opponent, awaited them. But the Indians, determined to make a point, put in a terrific and brave effort to beat the Hockeyroos by a razor-thin margin. Drag-flicker India’s lone penalty corner was converted by Gurjit Kaur in the 22nd minute, surprising the Australians. India’s best Olympic result occurred in the 1980 Moscow Games, where they placed 4th out of 6 teams. In that edition of the Games, women’s hockey had its Olympic debut, and the event was played in a round-robin format, with the top two teams qualifying for the final.
If you’re a Bollywood aficionado, this will undoubtedly remind you of Shah Rukh Khan’s 2007 flick “Chak de India!” If you forgot about the movie, King Khan was there to remind you.
Sjoerd Marijne, the coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, tweeted a selfie with the team and stated that he will be returning home later.
Later, Shahrukh Khan tweeted, “Haan haan no problem just bring some gold on your way back… For a billion family members. This time Dhanteras is also on 2nd Nov. From ex-coach Kabir Khan.”
Shah Rukh plays Kabir Khan, the Indian national women’s hockey team coach who won the world cup, in the 2007 film. The film, which centres around SRK coaching a group of young ladies how to compete in the World Cup, also has a real-life parallel: their rivalry with Australia.
The Indian team was defeated by the formidable unbeaten Australians in the first group stage of the film. However, the squad got their revenge in the finals, defeating them. In reality, the Indian team defeated the Australians in the quarter-finals to go to their first-ever Olympic semi-finals. In many ways, the parallel remained valid: the Indian squad defeated the Australian team in an extraordinary win.
Khan wasn’t the only one to point out the parallels between the screen and the actual world. Many Indian Twitter users were also reminded of this.
