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The quarterfinal matches of the Hockey India-14th Senior National men's championship witnessed thrilling contests and unexpected upsets. After eight days of largely one-sided matches in the Group stage, the last-eight ties at the SDAT-Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium turned out to be nail-biting affairs.In the biggest upset of the tournament, Manipur, a North-Eastern state, stunned defending champion Punjab via a penalty shoot-out (3-3 in regulation time and 4-3 in shoot-out). Manipur's experienced players, including Olympians Nilakanta Sharma, Kothajit Singh, and Chinglensana Singh, played a crucial role in the victory.Another major upset occurred when Odisha entered its first semifinals with a hard-fought victory over Karnataka in a shoot-out (3-1). Odisha's Mangal Lohar, Shilanand Lakra, and Pratap Lakra scored the goals in the shoot-out.Haryana, the two-time champion and last year's finalist, staged a remarkable comeback to script a 5-1 win over Maharashtra. Trailing 0-1 till the third quarter, Haryana scored all its five goals in the fourth quarter, with Rohit scoring a hat-trick.The host team, Uttar Pradesh, defeated Tamil Nadu 3-1 to secure a place in the semifinals. Chandan Singh, Rajkumar Pal, and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay scored for UP.The semifinals will be played on Friday, with UP taking on Haryana and Manipur clashing with Odisha. The final is scheduled for Saturday.

India's men's hockey team, buoyed by their historic victory over Australia in their final pool match, will face Great Britain in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics on Sunday. The Indians, who finished second in Pool B behind Belgium, will be looking to continue their momentum and secure a berth in the semifinals.India's performance against Australia was a testament to their growing confidence and tactical prowess. The midfield, led by Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh, controlled the tempo of the match with their relentless attacking play. The forwardline, spearheaded by Gurjant Singh and Sukhjeet Singh, capitalized on the opportunities created by the midfield, with Abhishek scoring a superb field goal to give India the lead.Skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who has been in scintillating form throughout the tournament, added two more goals to his tally, taking his total to six. The backline, anchored by Amit Rohidas and Jarmanpreet Singh, defended stoutly, while veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh made several crucial saves.The transition of the ball from defense to midfield to forwardline was a key factor in India's success against Australia. The Indians used aerial passes to great effect, a tactic that proved highly effective against the Kookaburras.India's chief coach, Craig Fulton, has instilled a sense of self-belief in his team, who are now just two wins away from back-to-back Olympic medals. "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," said Harmanpreet after the Australia match.In other quarterfinals, Belgium will take on Spain, Australia will face Netherlands, and Germany will face Argentina. India will be hoping to emulate their bronze medal performance from the Tokyo Olympics and make history by reaching the semifinals.

The Indian men's hockey team secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Ireland in a Pool B match at the Paris Olympics, solidifying their position in the quarterfinals. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh led the charge with a brace, scoring in the 13th and 19th minutes.Despite a few defensive lapses, India dominated the first half, consistently penetrating the Irish circle. Harmanpreet's first goal came from a penalty stroke awarded after Gurjant intercepted the ball and passed it to Mandeep Singh, who was tackled by Shane O'Donoghue.In the second quarter, India doubled their lead through a penalty corner converted by Harmanpreet. Ireland had a chance to reduce the deficit with a penalty corner, but India's goalkeeper PR Sreejesh made a crucial save.The second half saw Ireland improve their performance, earning eight penalty corners in the third quarter alone. However, India's defense held firm, preventing Ireland from scoring.In the final quarter, Ireland continued to press, earning two more penalty corners, but their finishing let them down. India's victory takes them to seven points from three matches, while Ireland's defeat eliminates them from the quarterfinal race.Belgium and Australia, both unbeaten, have six points each and will face off later in the day. Argentina and New Zealand are likely to compete for the fourth spot in Pool B, with the top four teams from each pool qualifying for the quarterfinals.

India's lone rowing representative at the Paris Olympics, Balraj Panwar, faced a setback in his quest for a medal after finishing fifth in his quarterfinals heat race of the men's single sculls event. The 25-year-old clocked a time of 7 minutes and 5.10 seconds in quarterfinals heat 4, relegating him to semifinals C/D, where rowers compete for positions 13th to 24th.Panwar's journey to the quarterfinals was a testament to his resilience. After finishing fourth in his first round heat race on Saturday, he secured a spot in the repechage round. On Sunday, he displayed his determination by finishing second in his repechage race, earning a berth in the quarterfinals.However, the quarterfinals proved to be a challenging hurdle for Panwar. Individual Neutral Athlete Yauheni Zalaty dominated the heat with a time of 6:49.27, while Giedrius Bieliauskas of Lithuania and Ryuta Arakawa of Japan finished second and third, respectively.The top three finishers in each of the four quarterfinal heats advanced to semifinals A/B, while the remaining rowers, including Panwar, will compete in semifinals C/D. The rowers in semifinals A/B will then vie for Final A/B races, where medals will be awarded to the top three finishers.Despite the setback, Panwar remains determined to make the most of his Olympic experience. He will now focus on securing a respectable position in semifinals C/D and showcasing his skills on the global stage.

India's archery campaign at the Tokyo Olympics came to an end on Monday as the men's team of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Pravin Jadhav, and Tarundeep Rai lost their quarter-final to Turkey. The Indian trio, ranked second in the world, were unable to match the performance of their Turkish counterparts, going down 2-6 on points.The match started poorly for India, with Bommadevara scoring a disappointing 7 in the first set. Turkey took advantage of India's shaky start, taking the first set 57-53. India's hopes of a comeback were dashed in the second set, as they were outscored 55-52.The third set saw India finally find their rhythm, taking the set 55-54. However, Turkey regained control in the fourth set, closing out the match with a 58-54 victory.The loss marked the end of India's archery campaign at the Tokyo Olympics. The women's team had also crashed out in the quarter-finals, losing to South Korea.India's failure to progress past the quarter-finals stage at the Olympics archery continues. The team has now failed to reach the semi-finals in four consecutive Olympic Games.

Indian Women's Archery Team Suffers Quarterfinal Heartbreak at Paris OlympicsThe Indian women's archery team's Olympic dreams were shattered on Sunday as they succumbed to a disappointing 0-6 defeat against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics. The trio of Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur, and Deepika Kumari failed to live up to expectations, delivering a lackluster performance that resulted in their elimination.In the first set, India lost 51-52, setting the tone for a challenging match. Ankita and Deepika struggled to find their rhythm, scoring below par. The second set proved equally disappointing, with India losing 49-54. The Dutch team, on the other hand, displayed remarkable consistency and precision, putting pressure on the Indian archers.The third and final set was a nail-biter, with both teams tied at 48-48. However, the Netherlands managed to pull ahead in the final arrows, securing a 53-48 victory and sealing India's fate.In archery, the highest score by a team in a set is awarded two set points, while a draw gets one set point each. India's inability to secure even a single set point highlighted their struggles throughout the match.The Indian team had entered the quarterfinals with high hopes after finishing fourth in the qualification round. However, their performance in the knockout stage fell well short of expectations. Ankita and Deepika, in particular, failed to deliver the kind of scores that were required to challenge the Dutch team.The defeat marks a disappointing end to India's archery campaign at the Paris Olympics. The team had hoped to build on their success at the previous Games, where they won a silver medal in the women's team event. However, their performance in Paris suggests that they need to reassess their strategies and training methods if they want to compete with the world's best.

India's Hockey Odyssey at Paris Olympics: Schedule UnveiledThe Indian men's hockey team's path to glory at the Paris Olympics has been laid out, with the release of the official match schedule. The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists will embark on their quest for a podium finish on July 27, facing New Zealand in their opening encounter.India's Pool B campaign will continue with a clash against Argentina on July 29, followed by a showdown with Ireland on July 30. The team will then face the formidable Belgium on August 1 and conclude their group stage against Australia on August 2.Pool A features an equally competitive lineup, including the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, France, Great Britain, and South Africa. The top four teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, scheduled for August 4. The semifinals will take place on August 6, setting the stage for the bronze-medal playoff and the grand finale on August 8.The matches will be held at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium in Colombes, a historic venue that has witnessed countless sporting triumphs. Belgium, the reigning Olympic champions, will be eager to defend their title, while India will be determined to improve upon their bronze medal performance in Tokyo.The schedule announcement was made in the presence of International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach and FIH president Tayyab Ikram, underscoring the significance of the event. The Indian team will now have a clear roadmap as they prepare for the biggest stage in hockey.