IMAGE: Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh celebrates after winning the match. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis / ReutersAs the final hooter rang through the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, sealing the Indian hockey team's bronze medal triumph, an electrifying wave of emotions swept through the families of the victorious players.
In living rooms across India, where eyes had been glued to screens with bated breath, the tension gave way to an outpouring of unbridled joy.
In Amritsar, Harmanpreet's father, Sarabjit Singh, said the bronze in Paris is no less than gold.
"For us, it is just like gold (medal). It's all god's grace, all players are safe and there were no injuries thanks to god," Sarabjit told PTI TV.
Mobile phones buzzed with congratulatory messages and calls.
Rajwinder Kaur's joy knew no bounds after her son Harmanpreet scored both the goals as Indian notched a memorable 2-1 win against Spain.
"Great performance by him. It is a proud moment for us. We wanted gold and the children worked very hard for it, but the match was very difficult. God is kind and we have won the bronze," she said.
India had lost the semifinal 2-3 to Germany on Tuesday much to the disappointment of the nation. But they made sure they were on the Paris podium as they clinched their second consecutive bronze medal.
"We are so happy, the entire village is happy. Every second (of the game) was important, but god blessed us, and we won. The team deserved the bronze medal," an elated Komalpreet, Harmanpreet's brother, said.
They distributed 'motichoor ladoos' and displayed the victory sign for all those who had gathered around to celebrate.
It was veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh's last dance and his teammates dedicated the medal to him.
"We are all extremely happy that the Indian hockey team has won the bronze medal. The comeback that the boys made after losing the last game was exceptional.
"The boys gave their 100 per cent until the last minute of the game. We are proud of the entire team, especially PR Sreejesh," Harmanpreet's coach Yadwinder Singh said.
Hockey is an emotion in India; it holds a special place in Indian sports history, and any success on the Olympic stage evokes a strong sense of national pride.
In Madhya Pradesh's Narmadapuram, family members of midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad took to the streets, dancing to the beats of 'dhols'.
In Jalandhar, forward Mandeep Singh's family broke into a celebratory dance after the nerve-wracking match ended. Pride mingled with laughter as the family embraced, their hearts swelling with pride.
"We are extremely happy and the entire family is proud of him and the entire team that has brought home a bronze medal. They have worked hard for this," Mandeep's mother, Davinderjeet Kaur said.
"We are proud of them. They have made the entire Punjab and India proud," Ravindra Singh, Mandeep's father said.
His pride was not just in the medal, but in the resilience, dedication, and spirit the team had shown.
"It was an intense match and we were nervous till the last second. But the team held it's nerve and played a great match" he added.
In Varanasi, forward Lalit Upadhyay's mother, Rita's eyes glistened with tears of happiness and fulfilment.
"We are very happy. We left it on god and said that 'don't let my children come back empty handed, give them one medal otherwise their determination will break'," Rita, who was surrounded by neighbours and family, said.
In Ghazipur, Rajkumar Pal's father video-called his son as the entire neighbourhood gathered to catch a glimpse of the bronze winners
