Day 6 of the Paris Olympics 2024 was a mixed bag for India, with some highlights but also significant disappointments. Swapnil Kusale brought a bronze medal home, adding to India’s tally, but several top medal contenders fell short in their respective events.
Swapnil Kusale Shines
Swapnil Kusale fought hard and secured a bronze in the men’s 50m 3 positions shooting, marking India’s third medal in the competition. Kusale’s performance was a beacon of hope early in the day, but unfortunately, it remained the only high point as other contenders faced setbacks.
Disappointments in Badminton
India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu, aiming for her third Olympic medal, saw her hopes dashed. Sindhu lost to China’s He Bing Jiao 19-21, 14-21 in the women’s singles round of 16. Despite a closely contested first game, Sindhu struggled to keep pace with the sixth-seeded Chinese player. Sindhu had previously won a silver at Rio 2016 and a bronze at Tokyo 2020.
Adding to the disappointment, the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were knocked out in the quarterfinals. They lost a hard-fought match to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik with scores of 21-13, 14-21, 16-21.
In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen provided some relief by defeating HS Prannoy 21-12, 21-6 to move into the quarterfinals, showcasing a dominant performance.
More Setbacks in Shooting and Boxing
Nikhat Zareen, another medal hopeful, faced a tough challenge against top seed Wu Yu in the women’s 50kg round of 16 boxing match. Zareen’s journey came to an end as she lost to the formidable Chinese opponent.
In shooting, world record holder Sift Kaur Samra couldn’t progress past the qualification stage in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions individual event. Anjum Moudgil also failed to qualify.
Sailing and Athletics Struggles
Indian sailors faced a tough day as well. Vishnu Saravanan finished 10th in the first race of the day in men’s dinghy but slipped to 34th in the second race, placing him 25th overall. Nethra Kumanan had a better showing, ranking 6th after her first race in the women’s dinghy, though the second race was postponed due to poor wind conditions.
In athletics, the men’s 20km race walk final saw Vikash finishing 30th, Paramjeet 37th, and Akshdeep did not finish (DNF). Priyanka Goswami ended up 41st in the women’s 20km race walk with a time of 1:39.55s.
Hockey and Archery Ups and Downs
India’s men’s hockey team suffered a close 1-2 defeat to Belgium in Pool B. In archery, Pravin Jadhav was knocked out after losing 0-6 to China’s Wenchao Kao in the men’s individual round of 32.
Summary of Results on Day 6:
Badminton:
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty lost 21-13, 14-21, 16-21 to Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia in men’s doubles round of 16.
- Lakshya Sen defeated HS Prannoy 21-12, 21-6 to advance to the men’s singles quarterfinals.
- PV Sindhu lost 19-21, 14-21 to China’s He Bing Jiao in women’s singles round of 16.
Athletics:
- Vikash finished 30th, Paramjeet 37th, and Akshdeep did not finish in the men’s 20km race walk final.
- Priyanka Goswami finished 41st in the women’s 20km race walk with a time of 1:39.55s.
Shooting:
- Swapnil Kusale won bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions final.
- Anjum Moudgil and Sift Kaur Samra failed to qualify in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions.
Archery:
- Pravin Jadhav lost 0-6 to China’s Wenchao Kao in the men’s individual round of 32.
Boxing:
- Nikhat Zareen lost to China’s Wu Yu in the women’s 50kg round of 16.
Hockey:
- India lost 1-2 to Belgium in Pool B.
Sailing:
- Vishnu Saravanan ranked 25th after two races in men’s dinghy.
- Nethra Kumanan ranked 6th after her first race in women’s dinghy.
Looking Ahead
Despite the setbacks on Day 6, the determination and resilience shown by athletes like Swapnil Kusale provide hope. As the Paris Olympics continue, India will look to bounce back and aim for more successes in the days to come. Let’s hope for a better performance and more medals tomorrow.