German hockey players win hearts despite World Cup loss
Australia won the Hockey World Cup, but it was the young German team which won the hearts of the Indian fans by taking a lap around the packed stadium with a huge banner thanking the crowd for their support.
"Thank you for the support. We appreciate your efforts," read the banner which was greeted with thunderous roars from the nearly-packed Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
The German act came moments after the Australian team completed the victory lap to celebrate their second Cup title that came after a 24-year gap. The crowd, which included some Germans, had stood firmly behind the runners-up cheering their every move.
In fact, even the German players were surprised by the overwhelming support as it even surpassed the backing they get at home. "It was a surprise to us that we got such huge support here in India. We don't see such support even back home. In the 2006 finals when we played Australia at Mongchengladbach, there were 12,000 people in the stands. There was a good support for the home team. But we usually don't see such crowd back home," young striker Florian Fuchs told IANS.
German captain Maximilian Muller said they wanted to show their heartfelt appreciation to crowd for their support through the tournament. "We talked about it two days ago. The handful of German supporters and the Indian fans cheered for us throughout the tournament. So we came up with this idea to show our appreciation with a banner."
"In fact, the fans here were right behind us in this match and helped us to draw level. They constantly egged us for every move and it was a motivating factor," said Muller.
"It has been a wonderful stay for the entire team in India. We loved the place, the fans and their love for hockey."
