India’s challenge at Paris 2024 began with
shooting, where Manu Bhaker has been a standout performer,
clinching two medals and narrowly missing a podium finish in the 25m Air Pistol event, where she was placed fourth. Her partnership with Sarabjot Singh in the mixed team event earned India a well-deserved bronze. Swapnil Kusale also made a mark by securing bronze in the 50m Air Rifle 3P category. However, apart from these successes, there were a few disappointments as well.
Ramita Jindal finished seventh in the Women's 10m Air Rifle final, after having demonstrated her potential in the Qualifying round. RF Athlete Sandeep Singh also had set the bar high with impressive performances in the recent past. However, he fell short in both Men’s Individual and Mixed team events.
In archery, India witnessed a
commendable performance from Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat, who finished fourth in the mixed team event. Their run was cut short in the bronze medal match against the USA, but their efforts secured India’s best result in archery at the Summer Games. Experienced Deepika Kumari fell short of the expectations as she bowed out of her individual event in the Quarterfinals.
The badminton team faced its own set of challenges. While Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with PV Sindhu, were eliminated in the quarter-finals, Lakshya Sen emerged as a beacon of hope. He fought valiantly to reach the semi-finals but was defeated by Viktor Axelsen. Lakshya Sen put up a
great effort in the Bronze medal match as well, but his Malaysian opponent rose to the occasion and staged a miraculous comeback win to deny the 22-year old a medal on his Olympic debut.
In boxing, Nishant Dev and Lovlina Borgohain reached the quarter-finals, only to bow out after intense matches. Nikhat Zareen’s journey ended in the pre-quarters, highlighting the fierce competition in the ring.
The Indian men’s hockey team stands on the brink of a historic achievement. Led by Harmanpreet Singh, they need one more victory against Germany in the semi-finals to guarantee a medal. A win would ensure a gold or silver, while a loss would see them contesting for bronze. However, the journey so far has been nothing short of thrilling. While India managed to beat Australia in their last Pool B encounter, that too for the first time at the Olympics in 52 years, bigger challenge awaited in the form of Great Britain. Things got even more difficult when Amit Rohidas was shown a red card early in the match. However, little did that affect the Indian team as they took the lead soon through Harmanpreet’s powerful strike. Great Britain did strike back soon to equalise, but they failed to get through the defence, courtesy to some stout defending and goalkeeping brilliance by PR Sreejesh. It eventually went to the penalties after the match was tied at 1-1 after regulation time. The Indian team found the back of the net four times while the British side managed to do it only twice giving India one of the most famous wins in the recent times. India next face Germany, tonight, in the semi-final, whom they beat in Tokyo 2020 to grab the Bronze medal.
In table tennis,
Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula made history by advancing to the pre-quarters in women's singles, showcasing their skill and determination. While both fell short in the Round of 16 encounter, the promise shown by them testifies to the fact that glory days for India are not too far away. In the Women’s team event, Manika Batra led from the front to register two wins and pave the way for another historic moment for India at the Games.
India beat Romania 3-2 to make it to the Quarter-Finals of the event. Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath also played their role in the doubles match to ensure a hard-fought win over a higher-ranked opponent.
As the Paris Olympics continue, India’s athletes persist with grit and resolve, embodying the spirit of their nation on the world stage. All eyes will be on Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena when they take the field in the Qualification round today. We also await the debut of Indian hurdling queen and RF Athlete Jyothi Yarraji. With only a few days left for the mega event, we keep our hopes high as our athletes bid for more medals.
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