'With this bronze medal, the team has proved that Indian Hockey is back on track.'
'We are a force to be reckoned with and on our day, we can really be unstoppable.'
Members of the Indian men's hockey team touched down in the national capital on Saturday after winning a second successive Olympic bronze medal at the Paris Games earlier this week.
The Indian team extended their record overall Olympic medal haul in the sport to 13 with a 2-1 victory over Spain in the third place match in Paris.
VIDEO: Kind courtesy Hockey India/X
Captain Harmanpreet Singh and his teammates were greeted with garlands as musicians beat the celebratory dhol while they made their way out of the Indira Gandhi international airport in the morning.
It is for the first time since 1972 that India clinched a second consecutive medal at the Olympics.
India had beaten Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal match at the Yves-du-Manoir stadium in the French capital, following goals from Harmanpreet (30th, 33rd minutes).
Not all members of the winning team made their way back home.
Celebrated goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, who retired at the end of India's campaign, is the joint flag-bearer for the ceremony along with double-medallist Manu Bhaker.
He remained in Paris along with Amit Rohidas, Raj Kumar Pal, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh and Sanjay. They are slated to return after the closing ceremony.
"We are very happy and proud," Harmanpreet, who scored a brace in the medal match, told the media on his arrival.
"It is a big achievement for hockey. The love that is being showered upon hockey doubles our responsibility. We will also try that whenever we enter the field, we comeback with a medal," Harmanpreet added.
"It is very heart-warming to see Indian fans come out to receive and congratulate us for the bronze medal," Harmanpreet added. "The team left no stone unturned to prepare for the Olympics and to see your efforts bear fruit, to see the whole country rejoice in our victory, is an inexplicable feeling," he said.
India vice captain and first-time bronze medallist Hardik Singh said the players were rewarded for trusting each other completely during the Games.
"The unshakeable belief that a team-mate will step right up to cover up if you miss a step, is what pushed us to always give our best on the field," he said.
"The match against Great Britain was when it really shined through," Hardik said. "The mid-fielders had the forwards' back, the defenders supported the mid-fielders, and if all else failed we had the big man, P R Sreejesh, between the sticks who bailed us out on numerous occasions."
With his twin strikes Harmanpreet took his goals tally to 10 and finished as the tournament's highest goal-scorer in the men's category.
"We will cherish these memories for some time to come. With this bronze medal, the team has proved that Indian Hockey is back on track. We are a force to be reckoned with and on our day, we can really be unstoppable," Harmanpreet said.
"All that we need is belief in our Team and the unwavering support of Indian hockey fans. So, I request them to continue loving hockey, continue supporting us and we will win it all for you."
