It all started with Manu Bhaker in the 25m air pistol event. The young shooter, who already had christened her name in the history books of Indian shooting, found herself on the brink of another epic achievement. The 22-year-old was in the top three for most of the final. However, a stumble during the closing stages led to a nail-biting shoot-off with Hungary's Veronika Major.
Despite her valiant efforts, Bhaker's dreams of a third medal slipped through her fingers, and she settled for a commendable fourth place. Her journey in Paris, however, has inspired many and it paves the way for a promising future of the sport in India.
Arjun Babuta, competing in the Men's 10m Air Rifle, delivered a stirring performance that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Starting strong with a score of 105.0 from his first ten shots, Babuta was in contention for a medal. But a 9.9 on his 13th shot and a crucial 9.5 on his 20th and final shot saw him fall short.
His final score of 208.4 placed him just behind Croatia’s Miran Maricic, who secured the bronze with 209.8. Babuta's determination and focus throughout the competition demonstrated the potential for greater achievements in future events.
In archery, the mixed team event witnessed Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat striving for glory. Their fourth-place finish marked India's best result in Olympic archery to date. Against the USA's Brady Ellison and Casey Kaufhold, the Indian duo showed incredible promise but lost 6-2 in the bronze medal match. Their performance at Paris 2024 is a promising sign for Indian archery, showcasing the duo's capability to compete at the highest level.
The skeet mixed team event brought forth another close call for Indian athletes, with Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan finishing fourth after facing the People’s Republic of China in the bronze medal match. The battle was neck and neck until the penultimate round. The Chinese pair hit a perfect 4 in the last round which eventually turned out to be enough to secure a Bronze for them. However, the efforts of Maheshwari and Anantjeet, while falling short of a podium finish, highlight the depth of talent within the Indian shooting squad and set the stage for future successes.
In badminton, Lakshya Sen battled fiercely against Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the men’s singles bronze medal match. Sen began the match with a brilliant performance, winning the first game 21-13. However, Lee's resilience saw him take the next two games 21-16, 21-11, leaving Sen just short of becoming the first Indian male badminton player to win an Olympic medal. Before that, he went down to the eventual Gold medal winner Viktor Axelsen in the semi-final. Lakshya had a few chances to put the Danish shuttler under pressure, but the former World no. 1 showed his experience and grit to overcome the challenge and break a billion hearts. Despite these two defeats, Lakshya’s performance will certainly raise hopes of success at the world’s biggest stage in the upcoming days.
Another close finish that broke the hearts of billion Indians was Mirabai Chanu’s in the Weightlifting 49 Kg category. It was a closely-fought battle with the weightlifter from Thailand, but the Indian Olympic silver-medalist from Tokyo fell short by 1 Kg and settled for a fourth-placed finish.
A couple of more instances in Boxing saw the dreams of medal getting shattered. While Nishant Dev bowed out of the Men’s Boxing 71Kg category, RF athlete Lovlina Borgohain crashed out of the quarterfinals in the Women’s 75 Kg cateogry after a very tight fight. Both the pugilists needed just one more win to secure a medal for India, but it was not to be.
Though the fourth-place finishes at Paris 2024 left Indian fans longing for more, these performances underscore the potential and promise of India's athletes. Each near-miss reflects the immense talent and determination within the team, suggesting that with continued support and perseverance, Indian athletes are poised for greater triumphs in future Olympic Games.