Badminton

Day 9 of the Tokyo Olympics witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions for Team India, with triumphs and setbacks across various disciplines.In badminton, Lakshya Sen's Olympic dream of a gold medal was shattered after a heartbreaking defeat to defending champion Viktor Axelsen. Despite a valiant effort, Sen succumbed to a 20-22, 14-21 loss, leaving him to compete for the bronze medal."I think I became passive when I was defending," Sen said after the match. "I should have taken chances and attacked."Meanwhile, in athletics, Parul Chaudhary's Olympic journey came to an end after finishing eighth in the women's 3000m steeplechase round 1.The Indian men's hockey team, however, celebrated a hard-fought victory over Great Britain in their quarter-final fixture. The match went into a penalty shootout, where India emerged victorious.In shooting, Vijayveer Sidhu and Anish Bhanwala failed to qualify for the final of the 25m men's rapid fire pistol.Disappointment struck the boxing arena as Lovlina Borgohain lost her women's 75kg quarter-final bout, ending India's boxing campaign at the Olympics.Despite the setbacks, Team India remains determined to make the most of the remaining days of competition. Lakshya Sen will aim to secure a bronze medal in badminton, while the men's hockey team will look to continue their winning streak in the semi-finals.

India's Olympic campaign continued with a mixed bag of results on Day 7 in Paris. Manu Bhaker maintained her medal hopes by qualifying for the women's 25m pistol final, while Lakshya Sen advanced to the men's singles semi-final in badminton.In shooting, Bhaker's consistent performance earned her a spot in the final, where she will aim to add to India's medal tally. However, Esha Singh's Olympic journey ended with an 18th-place finish.Badminton saw India's lone charge, Lakshya Sen, overcome a tough challenge from Chou Tien Chen to reach the semi-finals. Sen's victory keeps India's hopes alive for a medal in the sport.Judo brought disappointment for India as Tulika Maan lost her women's +75kg Round of 32 bout. In archery, the mixed team of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara had a rollercoaster day. They defeated Indonesia and Spain but fell short against South Korea in the semi-final and USA in the bronze medal match.The men's hockey team bounced back from their previous loss with a 3-2 victory over Australia in their final pool match. This win secures their place in the knockout stage.In rowing, Balraj Panwar finished 23rd out of 33 athletes in the men's singles sculls. Athletics saw Parul Chaudhary and Ankita fail to advance from the women's 5000m Heat 2 and Heat 1, respectively. Tajinderpal Singh Toor also missed out on qualification in the men's shot put.Sailing witnessed mixed results for India. Vishnu Saravanan finished 20th and 19th in the men's dinghy, while Nethra Kumanan placed 11th in the women's dinghy after the first three races.

Indian Athletes Shine on Day 5 of Paris OlympicsDay 5 of the Paris Olympics witnessed a flurry of action for the Indian contingent, with athletes competing in archery, boxing, shooting, badminton, table tennis, and equestrian.In badminton, HS Prannoy staged a remarkable comeback after losing the first game to defeat Le Duc Phat in the men's singles group stage. Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu also secured victories, advancing to the round of 16.However, India faced disappointment in table tennis as Sreeja Akula and Manika Batra were eliminated in the round of 16. In archery, Deepika Kumari progressed to the round of 16 in the women's individual event, while Tarundeep Rai bowed out in the men's round of 64.Boxing brought success for India as Lovlina Borgohain defeated Sunniva Hofstad in the women's 75kg round of 16, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. Nishant Dev also advanced to the quarterfinals in the men's 71kg category.In shooting, Swapnil Kusale finished seventh in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions, qualifying for the final. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, however, was eliminated after placing 11th. Shreyasi Singh and Rajeshwari Kumari finished 23rd and 22nd, respectively, in the women's trap qualification.In equestrian, Anush Agarwalla was knocked out after finishing ninth in Group E with horse Sir Caramello Old.

India's medal hopes at the Paris Olympics will be tested on Thursday as Swapnil Kusale takes aim in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions competition. Kusale's performance could potentially secure India's third shooting medal of the Games, a historic feat.In badminton, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty face a formidable challenge against former world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia. Double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu will also face a tough test against He Bing Jiao of China, a rematch of their bronze medal playoff in Tokyo 2020. Lakshya Sen, who has been in impressive form, will face compatriot HS Prannoy or Vietnam's Le Duc Phat in the men's singles Round of 16.Golf action commences with men's Day 1, featuring Indian golfers Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shubhankar Sharma. They will aim to secure a medal by Sunday.The Indian men's hockey team, already qualified for the quarter-finals, will face reigning champions and world No.1 Belgium in their penultimate Pool B contest. Despite the pressure being off, the team will need confidence and courage to overcome the formidable Belgian squad.In boxing, Nikhat Zareen will compete in the women's 50kg Round of 16. However, she faces a challenging opponent in top seed and reigning world champion Wu Yu of China.

Indian sports history was made on Day 4 of the Paris Olympics 2024 as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the first Indian badminton men's doubles pair to qualify for the quarterfinals. The world number three duo secured their spot with one group match remaining after their scheduled opponents, Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel of Germany, withdrew due to injury.Meanwhile, ace shooter Manu Bhaker is poised to create her own Olympic legacy. Teaming up with Sarabjot Singh, Bhaker will compete in the bronze medal match of the 10m air pistol mixed team competition on Tuesday. A victory would mark an unprecedented second medal in shooting for India at the Games.India's badminton contingent will continue their group stage campaign with Satwik and Chirag facing Alfian Fajar and Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia in the men's doubles. Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto will also be in action, seeking their first win against Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu of Australia in the women's doubles.In hockey, Harmanpreet Singh will lead India in their men's Pool B match against Ireland, aiming to restore parity after yesterday's draw against Argentina. Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur, and Dhiraj Bommadevara will represent India in archery, while boxers Amit Panghal, Jaismine Lamboria, and Preeti Pawar will take to the ring.Other notable events on Day 4 include Prithviraj Tondaiman and Shreyasi Singh competing in the trap shooting qualification, Balraj Panwar in the men's single sculls quarterfinals, and rowers Arvind Singh and Arjun Lal Jat in the men's lightweight double sculls semifinals.