India Marks Triumphant Start at Paris Olympics with Shooting, Badminton, and Hockey Success

Manu Bhaker showcased her determination by advancing to the 10m air pistol final, setting a positive tone for India on the opening day of the Olympic Games. The men's hockey team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, secured a 3-2 victory over New Zealand in a thrilling match that was decided just before the final whistle.

Strong Performances in Badminton

In badminton, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the reigning Asian Games champions, won their Group C match against Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar with scores of 21-17 and 21-14. Lakshya Sen also started his Olympic journey with a win, defeating Kevin Cordon of Guatemala 21-8, 22-20 in Group L.

Bhaker, competing in her second Olympics, qualified third for the 10m air pistol women's final with a score of 580. Her performance at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre was a significant improvement from her previous Olympic outing. Rhythm Sangwan, another Indian shooter, finished 15th with a score of 573.

Table Tennis and Rowing Highlights

Harmeet Desai made an impressive debut in table tennis, advancing to the men's singles second round with a 4-0 victory over Jordan's Zaid Abo Yaman. In rowing, Balraj Panwar moved to the repechage after finishing fourth in his heat for the men's singles scull competition.

The Indian shooters have not won an Olympic medal since 2012. Bhaker's coach Jaspal Rana emphasized that the real challenge lies ahead. "What happened today doesn't matter anymore. Tomorrow is when it counts," he said, noting the heat at the range affected Bhaker's performance.

Challenges and Triumphs in Shooting

Sarabjot Singh narrowly missed out on a final berth in the men's 10m air pistol event. He finished ninth with a score of 577, just one inner 10 X short of qualifying. Coach Samresh Jung expressed confidence in Sarabjot's potential to bounce back in future events.

At the rifle range, Indian shooters were eliminated from the 10m mixed team qualifications. Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta finished sixth with a total score of 628.7, while Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh ended up twelfth with an aggregate score of 626.3.

Hockey Team's Resilience

The men's hockey team aims to improve on their bronze medal from Tokyo. They fell behind early but managed to equalize and eventually secure a win against New Zealand. Their next Pool B match is against Argentina on Monday.

Sen demonstrated his improved front-court alertness and composure during his match against Cordon. Despite conceding a big lead in the second game, he staved off four match points to win in 42 minutes. He will face Julien Carraggi of Belgium next.

Satwik and Chirag dominated their badminton match, winning most rallies in just 45 minutes. They are set to face Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel of Germany in their next group match on Monday.

Desai had an easy win over his opponent ranked 538th globally in table tennis. The match lasted only 30 minutes. Desai has been a prominent figure in Indian table tennis, having won team gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022.

India's lone rower at the Games, Balraj Panwar, will compete in the repechage after finishing fourth in his heat for the men's singles scull competition.

The opening day saw mixed results for India across various sports but highlighted strong performances from athletes like Bhaker, Sen, and Desai. The upcoming days promise more excitement as these athletes continue their quest for Olympic glory.