CHATEAUROUX/PARIS, Aug 2: Manu Bhaker looked primed to become a legend at 22 as she placed herself in contention for an unparalleled third successive medal at the ongoing Olympics, while shuttler Lakshya Sen looked a man possessed during his march into the semifinals on a roller-coaster Friday for India at the Games.
Adding to the joy was the hockey team, which broke a 52-year-old jinx to beat Australia at the showpiece event.
With nothing added to the tally on the day, India held the 44th spot in overall table with its three bronze, all of which came through shooting.
With her dazzling smile that adds to her confident and vivacious persona, Bhaker stormed into the 25m sports pistol competition after finishing second in the qualifications with an impressive score of 590.
The youngster from Jhajjar, Haryana has already snared bronze medals in the 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team, partnering Sarabjot Singh.
Given that she is the reigning world champion in 25m, a third podium finish looks all but certain on Saturday, which would make her the first Indian athlete ever to achieve this remarkable feat.
Lakshya displays unwavering commitment
In the evening, Lakshya continued to show just why, like Bhaker, he too is destined for greatness as he rallied to defeat Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen 19-21 21-15 21-12.
The win took him into the semifinals, an unchartered territory for a male Indian badminton player although Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu have already done it for the women.
Lakshya will next square off against the winner of the match between 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the last four.
Should he win, he would be assured of at least a silver, should he lose, he would still have a shot at a bronze medal in the playoff.
But the day was not without its share of heartbreaks, the biggest being the fourth-place finish by the mixed archery team of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara after losing 2-6 to USA in a hard-fought bronze medal play-off.
The duo looked good to bring in India’s maiden Olympic medal in archery but could not keep their composure in the crucial clash after losing to defending champions Korea in the semifinals.
Hockey team breaks a jinx
This was after the hockey team beat Australia at the Olympic Games for the first time since 1972, outsmarting the formidable rivals 3-2 to finish second in Pool B.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored a brace as India registered a famous win over Tokyo Games silver-medallists in their final pool match.
Already assured of a quarterfinal berth, the Indians played with intent and dominated the proceedings for a major part of the match to stun the Kookaburras, against whom they last won in Olympics in the 1972 Munich edition.
“It was an important match. We needed a match like this before the quarterfinals. From the start we put them under pressure. It’s a proud moment to beat Australia,” a proud Harmanpreet said after the match.
Veteran India custodian PR Sreejesh, who is playing his last international tournament, was rock solid in front of the goal, making some vital saves to deny the Aussies.
Golfers keep it steady
Shubhankar Sharma landed two eagles in his second round but gave away four shots in the middle to card a two-under 69, which placed him 25th in the golf competition.
Put alongside his first round 70, he was three-under for two days at the at Le Golf National on the outskirts of Paris.
The other Indian, Gaganjeet Bhullar improved on his first round 75 with a two-under 69 and is now T-52nd.
The disappointments
Asian Games-medallist shooter Esha Singh faltered to aggregate 581 (291 in precision and 290 in rapid) to finish 18th among 40 shooters in the 25m pistol qualification and miss the eight-shooter final by a distance.
Indian judoka Tulika Mann crashed out of the women’s +78kg event at the Paris Olympics after going down in the opening round to London Games champion Idalys Ortiz of Cuba here on Friday.
The 25-year-old from Delhi, a silver medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, lost to the Cuban, who has four Olympic medals including two silver and a bronze, 0-10 by ippon at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.
Indian rower Balraj Panwar ended his Paris Games campaign in 23rd position in the men’s single sculls event after signing off at fifth in the Final D round here on Friday.
The 25-year-old from Haryana clocked 7:02.37, his best timing of the Games, in Final D, which was not a medal round.
On Tuesday, Balraj, India’s lone representative in rowing at the Paris Olympics, had finished fifth in his quarterfinals heat race. (PTI)
Paris Olympics: India schedule – Day 8
Shooting
Women’s Skeet Qualification (Day 1): Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan — 12.30 pm
Women’s 25m Pistol (Medal round): Manu Bhaker — 1.00 pm
Archery
Women’s Individual (1/8 Eliminations): Deepika Kumari vs Michelle Kroppen (Germany) — 1.52 pm
Women’s Individual (1/8 Eliminations): Bhajan Kaur vs Diananda Choirunisa (Indonesia) — 2.05 pm
Sailing
Men’s Dinghy Opening Series (Race 5): Vishnu Saravanan — 3.45 pm
Men’s Dinghy Opening Series (Race 6): Vishnu Saravanan — 4.53 pm
Women’s Dinghy Opening Series (Race 5): Nethra Kumanan – 5.55 pm
Women’s Dinghy Opening Series (Race 6): Nethra Kumanan – 7.03 pm
Boxing
Men’s Welterweight (Quarter-finals): Nishant Dev vs Marco Verde (Mexico) — 12.18 am (Sunday)
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