India defeats Germany to win bronze in men’s hockey

Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya wins silver in 57 kg division

A more than four-decade-long wait finally bore fruition. India last won an Olympic hockey medal — a gold — at the 1980 Games in Moscow and after 41 years of fading hope and enduring angst, Manpreet Singh’s men turned a corner. On a pulsating Thursday in the Tokyo Games, India edged past Germany 5-4 to secure bronze through the third-place play-off. It was a moment equally invested with the frenzied thrills of the present and the warm tug of nostalgia. Hockey, India’s national game, was once a sure-fire Olympic medal prospect and it showed in the trophy cabinet that has eight golds and one silver, besides three bronzes, including the latest addition.