Play-off defeat hurts a lot, but feel proud: Rani

The Indians entered the semi-finals of the Games for the first time at Tokyo 2020, and signed off with a fourth-place finish. “We are disappointed because we were so close. I don’t know what to say, but it hurts a lot because we couldn’t win a bronze medal,” skipper Rani said after the heart-breaking 3-4 loss against Great Britain in the play-off. 

“But, I think that everyone gave their best. So, I am proud of the team. Playing at the Olympic Games and finishing in the top-four is not easy. We came close, but sometimes close is not good enough. But, I am still proud of how the team played throughout the tournament, worked hard and stayed together,” added Rani. 

Drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur, whose two goals were not enough to hand India a win on Friday, said that luck was probably not on the team’s side. “It was a tough loss, but we put in a lot of effort. Every player gave their 100 per cent. We have created history.”