Lakshya Sen missed a bronze medal in badminton while Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka fell short in the skeet mixed team event in shooting. Wrestler Nisha Dahiya too was left in tears after an injury dashed her hopes in the women’s freestyle category.
Sen, aiming to be India’s first male shuttler to win an Olympic medal, faced a tough matchup against Malaysia’s world no.7 Lee Zii Jia in the bronze playoff.Despite a strong start, Sen was unable to maintain his lead and lost the match 21-13, 16-21, 11-21 in a 71-minute contest.
“I had my chances in the second set and could have definitely done better. But credit to him, he played a really good game. I think at the moment I’m just not able to think right,” a crestfallen Sen said after the match.
“I came well prepared for this match as well. It has been quite a tough week overall. But yeah, the fatigue kept on building. But I mean, I was ready to give my 100 per cent in this match.”
Meanwhile, at the shooting range in Chateauroux, Maheshwari and Naruka narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the skeet mixed team event. They finished fourth, losing by a single point to China’s Yiting Jiang and Jianlin Lyu, who secured the bronze with a score of 44 against the Indian duo’s 43.
Further disappointment came from the wrestling mat, where Nisha faced North Korea’s Pak Sol Gum in the women’s 68 kg freestyle category. Leading 8-1 with just over 90 seconds left, Dahiya sustained a serious injury to her right hand. The injury left her in agonizing pain, and she was unable to continue effectively.
Following a medical break, Nisha’s right hand lost strength, and Pak Sol Gum capitalized on the opportunity, scoring nine straight points. The bout ended with a score of 8-10 in favor of the North Korean wrestler.
Nisha’s day ended in tears as she was unable to maintain her early lead due to the injury. With just 10 seconds left, the score was 8-8, but the outcome was already clear as she struggled to hold on in the final moments.
Women’s TT team advances to quarters
The women’s table tennis team of Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath triumphed over higher-ranked Romania to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
India initially led 2-0 but then Romania level the match at 2-2. Manika then delivered decisively in the final game.
Sreeja and Archana kicked off the proceedings with a win in the doubles match, defeating Adina Diaconu and Elizabeta Samara 11-9, 12-10, 11-7. Manika extended the lead with a convincing 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 victory over the higher-ranked Bernadette Szocs, giving India a comfortable 2-0 lead against their fourth-seeded opponents. India is seeded 11th in the competition.
In the second singles match, fortunes changed for India as Sreeja went down 2-3 (11-8, 4-11, 11-7, 6-11, 8-11) to European champion Samara after taking the first game. The loss led to a face-off between Archana and Bernadette, where the latter prevailed.
Manika then clinched the tie for India by defeating Adina 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-9), sealing the team’s spot in the quarterfinals.
India will next face either the USA or Germany in the quarterfinals.
A first in Indian men’s athletics
Avinash Sable created history by becoming the first Indian man to qualify for the men’s 3000m steeplechase final at the Paris Olympics.
Sable finished fifth in his heat with a timing of 8:15.43 minutes to qualify among the top 15 in the event.
In steeplechase, there are three heats and the top five from each heat qualify for the final.
Sable’s heat was won by Moroccan Mohamed Tindouft with personal best timing of 8:10.62 minutes.
Hockey team eyes first final since 1980
The Indian hockey team is poised on the brink of securing a second consecutive Olympic medal as it prepares to face reigning world champion Germany in the semifinals.
A win in the critical match will ensure at least a silver medal for India, an achievement last attained at the Rome Olympics in 1960.
India’s last Olympic gold in hockey came at the 1980 Moscow Games.
The team can now find itself on the podium once again, improving on the bronze medal secured in the Tokyo edition. The semis clash against Germany promises high stakes and high drama.
India will miss the services of key defender Amit Rohidas, who received a one-match suspension following a red card for a dangerous maneuver in the match against Britain.
However, veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has been pivotal in India’s advance, particularly with his crucial saves during the penalty shoot-out against Britain.
Neeraj begins campaign
Star Neeraj Chopra will be aiming for a historic second Olympic gold in javelin as he will begin his campaign on Tuesday with the qualification round, leading up to the finals on August 8.
Amid expectations of another golden finish, Chopra’s consistency will be tested this time, especially as he battles a persistent adductor injury.
Chopra is set to make history if he secures the top podium finish, becoming the fifth man in Olympic history to defend his javelin title. He would also be the first Indian to win two gold medals in an individual event at the Olympics.
Only four athletes have achieved this feat before: Eric Lemming of Sweden in 1908 and 1912, Jonni Myyra of Finland in 1920 and 1924, Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic in 1992, 1996, and 2000, and Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway in 2004 and 2008.