India's hockey midfielder, who recently was part of the squad that clinched the historic bronze at the Paris Olympics earlier this summer, revealed an incident, deemed both "shocking" and "shameful", which the national team incurred on their arrival at the airport as the players were ignored over internet sensation Dolly Chaiwala.

With a 2-1 win against Spain in the third-place face-off at the Paris 2024 Olympics last month, India secured the bronze medal in men's hockey and achieved back-to-back Olympic podium finishes for the first time since 1972, having earlier finished third in Tokyo three years back. The historic achievement was followed by a fifth Asian Champions trophy crown with a 1-0 win against China in the final last week.

Despite their back-to-back success, the hockey stars were shockingly ignored by fans at the airport, who cared more about taking a selfie with Dolly Chaiwala, who shot to fame after a video of him serving tea to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates went viral.

The sight left Hardik, who narrated the incident during his interaction on the SMTV YouTube podcast, shocked.

“I saw it with my own eyes, at the airport. Harmanpreet Singh, I, Mandeep [Singh]; there were 5-6 of us. Dolly Chaiwala was also there. People were getting themselves clicked with and did not recognise us," he said.

“We started looking at each other (feeling awkward). Harmanpreet has scored more than 150 goals, Mandeep has more than 100 field goals," he added.

The 26-year-old emphasised on how acknowledgement from fans tends to play a significant role for athletes in boosting their spirit. “For an athlete, fame and money is one thing. But when people are watching you and appreciating you, there is no bigger satisfaction than that for an athlete," Hardik added.

The Indian hockey team will next be seen in action in the second half of October when the nation hosts Germany for a highly anticipated two-match bilateral series at New Delhi’s Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. The last time India faced Germany was in the semifinal of the Paris Olympics, where the European giants emerged victorious with a 3-2 win.

“This bilateral series against Germany will be a remarkable showcase of world-class hockey. Both India and Germany have a rich history in the sport, and this series will give fans an opportunity to witness an intense competition between two of the most formidable teams in the world,” Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said in a press release.

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