Paris Olympics 2024 | A day of dualities: Hockey team ascends, Sen’s Olympic gold dream eludes

The Indian men's hockey team lived up to the billing to secure a spot in the Olympic semifinals for the second consecutive edition, however, Lakshya Sen's fervent bid for gold turned into a quest for bronze, marking a bittersweet Sunday for India in Paris. With no new medals added to the tally, India fell to 53rd place in the overall standings, holding on to its three bronze medals, all won in shooting (women's 10m air pistol, 10m air pistol mixed team, and men's 50m rifle 3 positions).

Boxing added to the disappointment as Lovlina Borgohain, who had earned a bronze in Tokyo, was eliminated after a quarterfinal loss to China's Li Qian in the women's middleweight (75kg) category. Lovlina, the reigning world champion, lost 1-4 in a bout marred by frequent cautions for holding and clinching. Nishant Dev had already been eliminated in the men's 71kg quarterfinals the previous night in a closely contested match.

Meanwhile, Sen's pursuit of gold came to an end as he was defeated by defending champion Viktor Axelsen, 20-22, 14-21, in the men's singles semifinals. Despite the setback, Sen has the opportunity to claim bronze in his Olympic debut if he can overcome Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the playoff on Monday evening. India remains in search of its first Olympic gold in badminton, with PV Sindhu securing silver and bronze in 2016 and 2020, and Saina Nehwal winning bronze in 2012.

Chak De Sreejesh!

Despite the setbacks, there was cause for celebration. The Indian hockey team's resilience stood out as they advanced to the semifinals. After key defender Amit Rohidas received a red card for an accidental hit, the team played with only ten men for over 40 minutes. They held Britain to a 1-1 draw, pushing the match into a shootout.

Veteran goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, affectionately known as the ‘Great Wall of India,' made several critical saves in both regulation time and the shootout, leading India to a 4-2 victory. The 36-year-old, in his final international event, saw the day as a chance for either his last match or two more opportunities. Head coach Craig Fulton praised the team's tenacity and unity, saying, "When our backs are against the wall, we're all roped in. We're all in this together."

Lovlina bows out, boxing fails to impress

India's boxing campaign ended without a medal, with Borgohain (75kg) losing 1-4 in a bout filled with infractions. Nishant Dev's earlier elimination from the men's 71kg quarterfinals also contributed to the disappointment. Out of the six boxers representing India, four were knocked out in the preliminary rounds.

Sen's chance to shine

The 22-year-old from Almora, who had a promising start, was on Sunday unable to maintain his lead and eventually succumbed to the two-time world champion. Despite this, Sen still has a chance to win bronze if he can defeat Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia.

Shooters fall short

Indian shooters Vijayveer Sidhu and Anish Bhanwala performed well in the qualifications but did not advance to the finals of the 25m rapid fire men's pistol event. Both shooters remained competitive until the final rounds but finished ninth and 13th, respectively. In the women's skeet competition, Maheshwari Chauhan and Raiza Dhillon finished 14th and 23rd in the qualification rounds, missing out on the top six needed to advance to the finals.

Parul-Jeswin miss the mark

Athletics continued to underwhelm for India as national record holders Parul Chaudhary and Jeswin Aldrin failed to qualify in their respective events on Sunday. Parul finished eighth in her heat and 21st overall in the women's 3000m steeplechase. Aldrin, after fouling his first two attempts, managed a 7.61m jump on his third attempt, ending 13th in Group B and 26th overall in the men's long jump qualification.