India clinches 3-2 victory in Paris Hockey opener; Shuttlers Chirag-Satwik advance
Paris: Captain Harmanpreet Singh sealed India's Paris Olympics opener with a decisive penalty stroke in the dying moments, securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory over New Zealand on Saturday.
New Zealand took an early lead through Sam Lane's goal in the 8th minute, followed by Simon Child's strike in the 53rd minute. India responded with goals from Mandeep Singh (24th minute), Vivek Sagar Prasad (34th minute), and Harmanpreet Singh (59th minute).
India dominated proceedings after conceding the initial goal, utilizing both flanks to create scoring opportunities while New Zealand relied on counterattacks. Despite the win, India's penalty corner conversion rate remains a concern, converting only one out of five opportunities compared to New Zealand's two out of nine.
Reflecting on the match, India's goalkeeper PR Sreejesh acknowledged the challenges faced, describing it as a wake-up call for the team. "The first match in the Olympics is never easy," he noted. "We made some mistakes but also did some good things. The important thing is we got three points."
Coach Craig Fulton expressed mixed feelings about India's performance, emphasizing the need for better possession and defensive strategies. "We weren't effective enough in keeping possession," he admitted. "New Zealand intercepted well and capitalized on their chances."
Looking ahead, India prepares to face Argentina in their next match on Monday, aiming to build on their opening victory and address areas for improvement.
Paris Olympics: Chirag-Satwik storms into next round after beating Lucas-Ronan
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty began their Paris Olympics campaign with a commanding victory over France's Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar, winning their men's doubles Group C match 21-17, 21-14 on Saturday.
The Indian duo dominated proceedings, wrapping up the match in just 46 minutes against the French pair, who fought hard with the backing of their home crowd.
Next, Satwiksairaj and Chirag will face Germany's Marvin Seidel and Mark Lamsfuss in the upcoming round on July 29.
India is represented by a contingent of 117 athletes across 16 disciplines at the ongoing Olympics, which began on July 26 and will conclude on August 11. The country aims to surpass its tally of seven medals from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including a gold, two silver, and four bronze medals.
Earlier in the day, India's Harmeet Desai progressed to the Round of 64 in men's singles table tennis, defeating Jordan's Zaid Abo Yaman 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5) in the preliminary round.
In badminton, Lakshya Sen secured a victory over Guatemala's Kevin Cordon in the men's singles Group L match, winning 21-8, 22-20.
Meanwhile, Indian shooter Manu Bhaker delivered an impressive performance in the women's 10-metre air pistol qualification round, finishing third with a score of 580-27x to advance to the final. However, her compatriot Rhythm Sangwan finished in 15th place and did not qualify for the final.
In the men's 10m air pistol event, Indian shooters Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Cheema missed out on a spot in the final, with Cheema finishing 18th (574-17x points) and Sarabjot 9th (577-16x points).
India's athletes continue to strive for excellence in their respective events, aiming to bring home more medals from the prestigious sporting event in Paris. ANI