India’s wait for the first medal at this year’s Olympics just keeps on getting longer while the number of Indian athletes at the games are getting shorter. India had a mixed seventh day at Rio.
The mixed doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna made it to the semi-finals after defeating Britain’s pair of Andy Murray and Heather Watson.
Boxer Vikas Krishan entered the quarter-finals in men’s middleweight (75 kg) category after thrashing Turkey’s Onder Sipal. Vikas was at his aggressive best and won all three rounds.
Meanwhile, the men’s hockey team had to settle for a 2-2 draw against a lower ranked Canada and will face Belgium in the quarter-final.
However, there was disappointing news in archery, shooting and the athletics field as archer Atanu Das, badminton players Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, runner Jinson Johnson, shot-putter Manpreet Kaur and discus thrower Vikas Gowda exited the games and Gagan Narang and Chain Singh failed to qualify for the final of the men’s 50m rifle prone event.India’s track and field events had nothing good to show either as sprinter Dutee Chand and Muhammed Anas Yahiya, and long jumper Ankit Sharma failed to go past their qualifying match.
We hope that the long wait for the medal finally ends when the Indian contingent plunges into action on the eighth day of the tournament.
Schedule for day 8:
Golf
Men’s Individual (Day 3):
16:00 Hrs:
Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia are still in contention.
Field Hockey (Women):
18:30 Hrs:
India vs Argentina
The Indian ladies need to beat Argentina and then hope Japan lose to Australia to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Shooting
Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol (Qualification & Finals); Men’s Skeet (Qualification & Finals)
17:30 hrs & 21:00 hrs, 18:00 hrs & 23:30 hrs:
Gurpreet will be in contention in the 25m rapid fire pistol, while Mairaj will be in action in the skeets.
Badminton
Women’s Doubles; Men’s Doubles:
19:15 hrs, 04:25 hrs:
Athletics (Field):
Men’s Long Jump Final:
05:23 hrs:
Ankit Sharma* is making his debut at the Games.
(*If they make it past their respective qualification rounds)