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Day 6 of the Paris Olympics 2024 brought a mix of triumph and heartbreak for India. Rifle shooter Swapnil Kusale shone brightly, clinching a bronze medal in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P), marking India's third medal in shooting.
However, the day also delivered its share of disappointment. Medal favourites boxer Nikhat Zareen and the badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty saw their Olympic dreams come to an end, alongside PV Sindhu, who will be returning empty-handed from the Olympics for the first time.
Let's delve into the key moments and highlights involving Indian athletes on this eventful sixth day (1 August) of the Games:
In contrast, the day proved challenging for the women's shooting team. Anjum Moudgil and Sift Kaur Samra faced tough competition in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. Anjum concluded her run in 18th place, while Sift finished in 31st, both missing out on the finals.
Pravin Jadhav's campaign in the Men’s Individual archery ended in the opening round, as he fell to China's Kao Wenchao in the Round of 64. Jadhav, who had advanced to the second round in Tokyo 2020, was defeated 6-0 (28-29, 29-30, 27-28). With his exit, India's hopes in Men’s Individual archery came to a close.
The judges unanimously awarded the bout to Wu, marking a disappointing end to Nikhat's debut Olympic journey.
In a thrilling Pool B clash at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Thursday, reigning champions Belgium edged out India 2-1 in the men's hockey competition. Abhishek (18') netted the lone goal for India, while Thibeau Stockbroekx (33') and John-John Dohmen (44') scored for Belgium, the gold medalists from Tokyo who previously defeated India in the semifinals.
Lakshya Sen powered into the quarterfinals of the men's singles event with a decisive straight-sets victory over compatriot H.S. Prannoy. The all-Indian showdown at the La Chapelle Arena on Thursday saw Sen in complete control, winning 21-12, 21-6 in just 39 minutes.
Despite a strong start, winning the first game 21-13, the Indian pair couldn't maintain their momentum. Chia and Soh rallied to win the second game 21-14 and sealed their victory with a 21-16 score in the decider.
In the women’s 20km race walk, Priyanka Goswami finished 41st with a time of 1:39:55. The 28-year-old Priyanka was the only Indian participant in the women’s event in Paris, marking her second Olympic appearance.
India’s Vishnu Saravanan placed 10th in the first race and 34th in the second of the men’s dinghy competition. The 25-year-old, ranked 20th at Tokyo 2020, is currently 25th with 44 net points. In women's dinghy, Nethra Kumanan finished sixth in the first race.
The top 10 after 10 races will advance to the medal round.
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