New Delhi: In a remarkable feat, young shooter Manu Bhaker etched her name in Olympic history by winning not one, but two medals in a single edition of the Games. Alongside her partner Sarabjot Singh, Manu clinched the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team category. Their impressive performance against Korea’s Lee Wonho and O Ye Jin secured India’s second medal at the Paris Olympics. Earlier, Manu had already won an individual bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event. The shooting duo’s qualification score of 580 paved the way to the medal match.
Disappointment in Trap Shooting, Archers Face Mixed Results
While Manu and Sarabjot celebrated their victory, Indian trap shooters faced disappointment. Prithviraj Tondaiman finished 21st in the qualification rounds. In the women’s category, Rajeshwari Kumari and Shreyasi Singh also ended up in 21st place after three rounds of qualification on the first day. Shreyasi finished 22nd. Both archers will have another chance to prove themselves in the upcoming rounds on Wednesday.
Hockey Triumph: Harmanpreet Singh’s Heroics Lead India to Victory
The Indian men’s hockey team continued their undefeated campaign with a 2-0 win over Ireland. Captain Harmanpreet Singh was the star of the match, scoring the first goal from a penalty stroke in the 11th minute and the second from a penalty corner in the 19th minute. Harmanpreet’s crucial goals secured India’s victory. In their previous match against New Zealand, he had scored the winning goal on a penalty stroke. The draw against Rio Olympic champions Argentina was also thanks to his penalty corner conversion. Next up, India faces Australia on August 2.
Badminton Brilliance: Rankireddy and Shetty Top Group C
In the badminton men’s doubles event, the Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty dominated their opponents. They defeated the Indonesian pair of Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Fajar Alfian in straight games (21-13, 21-13) to top Group C. However, it was a different story for Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto in women’s doubles—they suffered their third consecutive defeat. The world number five Indian duo of Satwik and Chirag showcased their prowess, while Ashwini and Tanisha faced a tough challenge against the world number 26 pair of Mapusa and Yu.
Archer Bhajan Kaur Advances, Ankita Bhakat Falls Short
Indian archer Bhajan Kaur displayed exceptional skill, securing her spot in the last 16 stage of the women’s singles category. She avenged Ankita Bhakat’s earlier defeat by beating Poland’s Violeta Maszor 6-0 in the last 32 round. Violeta had previously defeated Ankita 6-4 in the last 64 stage. Bhajan’s momentum continued as she convincingly defeated Indonesia’s Saifa Nurfifa Kamal 7-3 in her opening match of the day.
Boxing Heartbreak: Amit Panghal’s Olympic Journey Ends
Experienced boxer Amit Panghal, competing in the 51kg category, faced a tough challenge in Round 16. Despite his best efforts, he lost 1-4 to African Games champion and third seed Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba. Amit’s Olympic campaign came to an end, leaving Indian boxing fans disappointed.
Rowing Effort: Balraj Panwar Aims for 13th to 24th Position
India’s sole rowing representative at the Paris Olympics, Balraj Panwar, finished fifth in his heat race for the men’s single scull. With a time of seven minutes and 5.10 seconds in the quarter-finals, Balraj will now compete for positions between 13th and 24th.
