Following Manu Bhaker's bronze at Paris Olympics 2024, the spotlight now shifts to shooters Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta. Both have advanced to the finals of the 10m air rifle events, poised to add to India's medal tally.
India celebrated its first medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Sunday, as Manu Bhaker clinched a historic bronze in the 10m air pistol event with an impressive score of 221.7. The 22-year-old markswoman made a remarkable comeback after a heartbreaking malfunction in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. This achievement marks the end of a 12-year Olympic drought for Indian shooting.
Bhaker’s bronze medal placed India in the joint 18th spot alongside South Africa, Hungary, and Spain in the overall standings. Her triumph has rejuvenated hopes within the Indian contingent, sparking excitement for the upcoming events.
Following Bhaker's success, the spotlight now shifts to shooters Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta. Both have advanced to the finals of the 10m air rifle events, poised to add to India's medal tally. Jindal will compete in the women's final at 1:00 PM IST, while Babuta will take the stage for the men's final at 3:30 PM IST.
The Indian contingent, buoyed by Bhaker's medal, aims to secure more podium finishes and work towards their goal of achieving double digits in the medal tally this time around. India's quest for medals will continue with these promising shooters leading the charge.
In addition to Jindal and Babuta, India will see more action in the shooting arena. Prithviraj Tondaiman is set to compete in the men’s trap event. Meanwhile, the mixed teams of Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, along with Rhythm Sangwan and Arjun Singh Cheema, will participate in the 10m air pistol mixed team qualification.
Other Indian athletes are also in the spotlight on day three. The Indian men’s hockey team will face Argentina in their second group match at 4:15 PM IST, aiming to maintain their winning streak. The badminton contingent continues its campaign with Lakshya Sen in the men’s singles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the men’s doubles, and Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto in the women’s doubles, all set to compete in their respective matches.
Following is India's schedule at the Olympics in Paris on Monday, July 29:
Archery
* Men's team quarterfinals: Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Pravin Jadhav -- 6:30pm
Badminton
* Men's doubles (Group stage): Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty vs Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel (Germany) -- 12pm
* Women's Doubles (Group stage): Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto vs Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida (Japan) -- 12:50pm
* Men's singles (Group stage): Lakshya Sen vs Julien Carraggi (Belgium) -- 5:30pm
Shooting
* 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Qualification: Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh; Rhythm Sangwan and Arjun Singh Cheema -- 12:45pm
* Men's Trap Qualification: Prithviraj Tondaiman -- 1pm
* 10m Air Rifle Women's Final: Ramita Jindal -- 1pm
* 10m Air Rifle Men's Final: Arjun Babuta -- 3:30pm
Hockey
* Men's Pool B Match: India vs Argentina -- 4:15pm
Table tennis
* Women's Singles (Round of 32): Sreeja Akula vs Jian Zeng (Singapore) -- 11:30pm.