Amit Rohidas finally breaks silence on red-card incident at Paris Olympics 2024

Indian hockey team defender Amit Rohidas faced a challenging time during the knockout stages of the Paris Olympics 2024. Amit received a red card during India's quarterfinal victory against Great Britain, forcing the Men in Blue to play with only 10 players for the majority of the match.

As a result of his actions, Amit was subsequently banned for one game due to a violation of the FIH Code of Conduct, causing him to miss the semifinal match against Germany. In a recent statement, Amit has expressed his determination to move past the incident and remain focused on the upcoming match.

"I really missed the semi-final because of the one-match suspension. It was such a crucial match," Amit told PTI during the team's felicitation at the India House on Saturday.

"Pura country aur mere teammates mere saath the. Kabhi team se emotionally bahar hone nahin diya. Mera focus bas aagli match pe thaa (I knew the whole country and my teammates Emotionally they never ever let me feel that I’m an outsider or sidelined. I was fully focused on our next match," he added.

The Indian forward was penalized for swinging his stick and hitting British forward Will Calnan in the face. Amit has provided his perspective on the incident.

"I don’t know what people are saying outside, but I know as a player what I’ve gone through. It wasn’t intentional, and the referee’s decision is part of the game," he said on the incident.

India narrowly lost to Germany in a closely contested semifinal match, but rebounded with a victory over Spain in the bronze medal playoff.

 "Maybe the colour of the medal would have changed but it's all destined you cannot change anything. Luckily we are not returning empty-handed. This is the country's medal," he said.

"Sreejesh bhai may not be there on the pitch after retirement, but he will always be there with us as a guide and mentor. I'm sure whoever takes his position under the bar, we will work together as a unit as we have been doing all this while. We will follow the same process," he added.

Also read| Paris Olympics 2024 medal tally: Indian winners from every sport - Check full list