As India enters Day 8 of the Paris Olympics, the nation’s hopes are pinned on several athletes competing across various disciplines, with the spotlight primarily on shooter Manu Bhaker. The young shooter, already a double medalist at these games, is set to aim for her third medal on Saturday, August 3. Having secured bronze in both the 10m air pistol women’s final and the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh, Manu Bhaker stands on the brink of making history.
Should Manu Bhaker win another medal, she will become the first Indian athlete to secure three Olympic medals in an individual sport. Additionally, she could become the first from her nation to achieve this feat in a single edition of the games. Her event, the Women’s 25m Pistol Final, will commence at 1 PM IST in Châteauroux, drawing the attention of 1.4 billion Indians.
In archery, India’s Bhajan Kaur and Deepika Kumari will compete after a near miss on Friday, aiming to secure a medal. Their performances are crucial as India looks to add to its medal tally. Bhajan Kaur will face Indonesia’s Diananda Choirunisa at 2:05 PM IST, while Deepika Kumari will compete against Germany’s Michelle Kroppen at 1:52 PM IST. Depending on their performances, they could progress to the quarterfinals and beyond, with potential matches scheduled throughout the afternoon and evening.
The skeet shooting events will also feature Indian competitors. Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, Raiza Dhillon, and Maheshwari Chauhan will be in action, striving to advance through their respective qualification rounds. Naruka will compete in the Men’s Skeet Qualification Day 2 at 12:30 PM IST, while Dhillon and Chauhan will participate in the Women’s Skeet Qualification Day 1, also at 12:30 PM IST. Should they qualify, the Skeet Men’s Final will take place at 7:00 PM IST.
Boxing presents another medal hope for India, with Nishant Dev set to compete in the quarterfinal of the men’s 71 kg event. He will face Mexico’s Marco Verde at 12:18 AM IST on August 4, with a win guaranteeing him at least a bronze medal and a spot in the semifinals.
Indian sailors Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar will take to the waters in the Men’s Individual Strokeplay, with their events starting at 12:30 PM IST. Vishnu Saravanan will compete in the Men’s Dinghy Race 5 & 6 at 3:50 PM IST, and Nethra Kumanan will participate in the Women’s Dinghy Race 5 & 6, though a delay is expected.
The day promises to be action-packed, with potential for several historic achievements. Indian fans can catch the live action from Paris on JioCinema and DD, with updates available on ET. As the athletes gear up for their respective events, the entire nation waits in anticipation, hoping for a memorable day at the Paris Olympics.
