It took 41 years, however, the dream of Indians was finally achieved on Thursday as the men's hockey team defeated Germany 5-4 to win the bronze medal. Here India men's hockey skipper Manpreet Singh on Thursday dedicated the bronze medal win at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics to all the COVID-19 warriors  "And, now the long waiting dream has been fulfilled. This was a collective effort, from all the players, coaches, and support staff. Their unrelenting backing has resulted in a positive outcome today. I dedicate this victory to the COVID warriors, who have been working relentlessly to save lives. This medal came after 41 long years and I'm confident that my team will continue to improve and perform better in the upcoming events also," Manpreet said in a statement on Twitter.

Thank you to every Indian and hockey fans for the immerse love and support towards our @TheHockeyIndia team! #Tokyo2020 #Olympics #Bronze #Hockey #IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/zPohcqEtCV

? Manpreet Singh (@manpreetpawar07) August 5, 2021

"At the end, a gratitude to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, Ministry of Sports, Hockey India, SAI, 10A, Punjab Police for the constant support and motivation towards the National Hockey Team," he added. The Men in Blue showed positive elasticity, strength, and winning spirit to register an exceptional comeback win against a strong German team. Minutes after the Indian men's hockey team won the bronze medal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to skipper Manpreet Singh and coach Graham Reid and said the hard work put in by them over the months had finally paid off.

"Many many congratulations to you and the entire team, you have made history. The entire country is filled with joy. Your hard work has paid off. You have done a lot of hard work, please wish the entire side on my behalf. The entire country is happy, congratulations coach Reid, you have created history. My best wishes are with you," PM Modi was heard saying to Manpreet and Reid in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of Media

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