Ravi Dahiya’s cost into the ultimate assured India of a fourth Olympics medal as wrestlers despatched the nation’s hopes hovering, whereas javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra scripted historical past on a day when most issues went spectacularly properly for the contingent save for the heartbreak in hockey and boxing. Whereas Dahiya will battle for gold tomorrow, Chopra will stake his declare for India’s maiden observe and discipline medal on Saturday.
The Panipat lad etched his identify in historical past books within the qualification spherical itself when he turned the primary javelin thrower to qualify for the finals and in addition the primary to prime the charts with a formidable 86.65m effort.
Nevertheless it was one other 23-year-old, Dahiya, who emerged because the undisputed star of the day. Dahiya is now the second wrestler after double Olympics medallist Sushil Kumar to achieve the ultimate. He will likely be up towards reigning world champion Zavur Uguev of Russia. Others in medal competition are Deepak Punia (86kg) and Anshu Malik (ladies’s 57kg). Whereas Punia misplaced within the semis to get direct entry into the bronze medal playoffs, Malik has made the repechage spherical after European champion Irina Kurachikina, who beat her within the opening spherical, made the finals.
Within the boxing ring, Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) signed off with a bronze after her showdown towards reigning world champion Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey led to a crushing 5-0 loss. Borgohain turned the third Indian boxer to fetch an Olympics medal after Vijender Singh (2008) and MC Mary Kom (2012). “I labored laborious for a gold medal so it’s a bit disappointing,” Borgohain mentioned.
A day after the boys misplaced within the semifinals, the Rani Rampal-led ladies’s hockey workforce misplaced 2-1 to Argentina within the last-4 however stayed within the hunt for a medal. They’ll play Nice Britain on Friday for the bronze.
India fought valiantly and gave Argentina a tricky time by taking the lead within the second minute by a penalty nook conversion by Gurjit Kaur. However the four-time Olympics medallists bounced again strongly with skipper Maria Barrionuevo’s (18th, thirty sixth minutes) strikes from penalty corners to safe the win. “We got here right here to win a medal and nonetheless there’s one (accessible). It’s now about restoration, concerning the mindset,” India coach Sjoerd Marijne mentioned.
On the golf course, Aditi Ashok obtained off to an excellent begin, carding a 4-under 67 within the opening spherical for a share of the second spot. Diksha Dagar (76), nevertheless, had a tough begin as she made 5 bogeys to lie T-56. — PTI
Ravi Dahiya vs Zavur Uguev (ROC) in males’s freestyle 57kg remaining ninth bout after 2:45pm Begin
Deepak Punia in males’s freestyle 86kg bronze medal match eleventh bout after 2:45pm IST begin
