Dutch hockey player disrespects opponent following Gold Medal Game at Paris 2024

No matter how young or old you are, one of the most important things in any sport is to respect your opponent and unfortunately, that wasn't the case on Thursday at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

On Thursday, the Gold Medal Game from field hockey took place featuring a pair of European nations - Netherland and Germany, who are currently ranked first and second in the world, respectively, by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

The Gold Medal Game between the two European powerhouses went the distance and a shootout was needed to determine the 2024 Olympic champion. The Netherlands ended up winning the game, taking home their first gold medal since going back-to-back in 1996 and 2000.

After scoring the winning goal, a player on the Dutch squad went over to the German goalkeeper and did a shushing motion in his face and then proceeded to slightly hit his opponent in the helmet.

The actions of the Dutch player angered the German team, leading to a bit of scrum while the Netherlands were attempting to celebrate their gold medal victory.

It's safe to say that the Dutch player will face some sort of discipline from the FIH and potentially International Olympic Committee too, such as a suspension at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

In sports, emotions run wild, from incredible highs to devastating lows, but no matter what, you should always respect your opponent and win with class. What the Dutch player did on Thursday was quite rude and shouldn't happen anywhere, especially at a major sporting event such as the Olympics.

Source - Oilers Daily