July 27th 2024.
On Saturday, the first day of the Olympic Games, India had a relatively good start with various athletes and teams achieving victories in their respective events. In the city of Chateauroux, Manu Bhaker, a 22-year-old shooter from Haryana, qualified for the 10m air pistol women's final. In the hockey arena, the men's team led by Harmanpreet Singh secured a 3-2 victory against New Zealand in a thrilling match that was decided just a minute before the final hooter. Mandeep Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, and Harmanpreet were the scorers for India.
Meanwhile, in Paris, the badminton competition was underway at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena. The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty easily won their first group stage match, while Lakshya Sen also started his Olympic campaign with a win in the men's singles. At the South Paris Arena, table tennis player Harmeet Desai impressed in his debut match, defeating his opponent from Jordan with a convincing score of 4-0.
However, the star of the day was Manu Bhaker, who seemed determined to redeem herself after a disappointing performance in the previous Olympics. She qualified for the final with a score of 580, placing third in the qualifications. Bhaker's personal coach, Jaspal Rana, couldn't hold back his tears of joy and emphasized that the job was only half done, as the final was yet to come. He also mentioned the challenging conditions at the shooting range, with the heat affecting the performance of the athletes.
On the other hand, Sarabjot Singh had a close miss in the men's 10m air pistol event, finishing ninth and missing out on a spot in the final by just one point. Coach Samresh Jung tried to console him, but Sarabjot couldn't hide his disappointment at missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime. In the mixed team event, however, Jung expects him to bounce back and perform well.
In the evening, Lakshya Sen and Harmeet Desai added to India's success by winning their respective matches. Sen showed great improvements in his game, while Desai easily defeated his opponent in a one-sided match. The men's hockey team also displayed tenacity and composure in their match against New Zealand, securing a win in the nick of time.
In rowing, Balraj Panwar moved to the repechage after finishing fourth in his heat in the men's singles scull event. Overall, it was a good start for India at the Olympics, with many young and first-time athletes performing well. The nation hopes to continue this momentum and achieve more victories in the coming days.
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