Tokyo Olympics 2020: India are into the quarter finals. (Hockey India)Tokyo Olympics 2020 Day 3 Highlights: After a bright start to Day 3, it was a disappointing outing on third day for Team India. India’s first Olympic fencer Bhavani Devi delivered a win on debut but lost her Round of 32 match to get knocked out. Indian men’s archery team comprising Atanu Das, Pravin Jadhav, and Tarundeep Rai lost to Korea in quarterfinals. Sharath Kamal won his second-round match against Portugal but it was the end of the road for fellow paddler Sutirtha Mukherjee. In badminton, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty went down in their men’s doubles second round.
Later, in the evening, Indian women’s hockey lost 0-2 to Germany in Pool A fixture.
Elsewhere, boxer Ashish Kumar was defeated by Erbieke Tuoheta 0-5 in the round of 32. Swimmer Sajan Prakash finished 24th in Men’s 200m Butterfly and failed to qualify for the semi-finals.
Tennis player Sumit Nagal lost Round 2 to World No.2 Daniil Medvedev. Angad Vir Singh Bajwa finished 18th while Mairaj Ahmad Khan ended 25th in the men’s skeet event. Manika Batra lost 4-0 in the third round to World No 17 Sofia Polcanova of Austria to end her campaign.
Vishnu Saravanan, who was 14th in the laser class after day 1, moved down to 25th while Nethra Kumanan dropped down from 27th to 28th in the laser radial after Day 2 of Sailing qualifiers.
Tokyo Olympics: PV Sindhu begin her campaign in style on day two.
Well, the second half has been mostly about clock management from the Germans. They hold out till the final hoot. A clinical display from India. India brave in defeat again. The game changed in a single passage of play in the 2nd Half: Gurjit missed a Penalty stoke. At the other end, Germany scored almost immediately. There was no getting back from that for the girls today.
A 1-5 defeat to Netherlands
A 0-2 defeat to Germany
Can the Indian women roar back in their last group matches? They'll play GBR, IRE and RSA. 4 teams go through to the quarters.
India try without luck to break down the German defence. Germany now get a break away in the final few minutes of the 4th Quarter with Zimmerman down the right. Importantly, the clock is being managed very well by the Germans.
Germany 2-0 India
For the first time since Athens 2004, China has failed to win a gold medal at any event in Olympic table tennis. The Japanese team of Jun Mizutani (ranked 18) and Mima Ito (No 2) came from 2-0 down to beat a strong Chinese team of Xu Xin (No 2) and Liu Shiwen (No 7) - both former World No 1s - 4-3 to claim gold in the first ever Olympic mixed doubles event. The Match went on for 1 hr 17 mins
Meanwhile, the Indian team are trying to fight back in the 4th quarter, but are still down by 2 goals with around 10 minutes left in the match.
Potential upset coming up: Japan closing in on a historic Olympic gold in TABLE TENNIS! They're leading China deep in the deciding set of the mixed doubles final. Japan are leading 8-1 at the moment.
In the hockey arena, India are making more and more advances as the third quarter comes to an end, but the German defence is ensuring there's more frustration in store than joy for the Indians in the final third.
Vandana with acres of space as a long ball finds her unmarked! Vandana makes the run, she draws the goalkeeper out, shoots, but loses balance and falls as she shoots. Saved by Sontag! Times her dive to perfection. Neha now draws forward, finds an opening. Shoots! Or, well, at least tries to. Ends up scuffing her shot with the goalkeeper exposed. Two big chances for India in quick succession.
Second goal! Anna Schroder now drives an unstoppable shot past Savita into the Indian goal. What fine margins! India were set to equalize after getting the Penalty stroke. Gurjit missed, and a few seconds later, Germany make their chance count and now they are 2-0 up.
It was a brave referral by Rani and she gets India their first Penalty stroke of Tokyo 2020. After 90 minutes of no PCs also for the campaign so far. Gurjit steps up. Off the post! Oh no! The German keeper lets out a roar.
NewsFlash: India have won their first Penalty Corner of Tokyo 2020! Rani Rampal with the hit! Lovely hit, which is turned aside behind goal. India want a Penalty stroke! They've gone for the Review. Looks like the ball hit Altenberg and then went out. Will India get a Penalty Stroke? Yes they do!
The third quarter begins. 30 more minutes for India to make something out of this match. They've played well so far, but they are up against one of the world's best teams.
Germany now looking to wind down the closk as India look to ramp the pressure and increase the pace. It's been all India in the later part of the second quarter. But as the hooter sounds to signal Half-Time, Germany are 1-0 up.
Meanwhile, something not very significant but becoming a bizarre problem slowly. Remember, they've conceded 3 of their 6 goals conceded so far in Tokyo through PCs themselves.
Salima blocks! Germany earns another PC as Savita continues being a rock in goal. Then, from the resultant PC, it is Salima who advances bravely to make the block! Great defensive work again. Pieper with a great opening on goal but she shoots over goal. Reprieve for India! Vandana now makes another darting run down the left flank. Into the box! But cleared. Still, Germany 1-0 India
German bombardments are the order of the match in the 2nd quarter too. Vandana has been impressive for the Indian women's team so far, even as the German opponents have dominated the match so far. Monika comes forward with the ball now, but dispossessed...Neha now from the right. Earns a corner for India. India showing good speed on the counter attack that time. Positive sign!
The first quarter ends just as Susheela looks to initiate an attack from the right. It's 1-0 to Germany at the end of the first quarter. Another 45 minutes for the Indian team to turn it around. Remember, a draw could well be seen as a good result today, considering the points table and matches left for India.
Perhaps more importantly from an Indian perspective, could the women's hockey team provide a joyful end to what has been a largely disappointing day?
A shot is slashed past the Indian goal, who are still holding on. With three minutes left in the quarter, Germany get the first penaltyu corner of the day. India conceded 2 goals from penalty corners against Netherlands. And would you believe it! They concede again! Germany score.
Germany 1-0 with 3 minutes left in 1st quarter.
The Women in Blue have also managed to penetrate the circle twice now. Savita forced to make a great save as the Germans throng the circle as the first quarter wears on. Magnificent save by Savita, who stretched out her heavily padded left leg to deny the Germans.
Still 0-0 the score, as the two teams test each other out with their opening salvos.
Germany with the pushback as the hoot goes off. And it is the German team with the first attack of the match. They are shading possession in the first. A couple of attacks manage to penetrate the penalty circle as well, but none of them have managed the threaten the Indian goal so far.
It's time for the anthems. And then the teams to make a final team huddle on the turf. Big game for the Indian team!
India lost their first Pool A match 1-5 to Netherlands. They're up against another top-grade team in Germany today. They are 5th out of 6 teams in Pool A so far after 1 match. Four teams from each Pool will go through to the quarters. India still have a great chance to qualify, given that games against Ireland and South Africa are left. For today, a draw against Germany could be seen as a great result! Match begins in 5 minutes.
Time for the last action of the day from an Indian perspective. Can the Indian women's hockey team end the day on a high note? The match is set to begin in a few more minutes.
Ariarne Titmus was thrilled with her victory over Katie Ledecky. The Terminator's coach was even more excited. In the stands at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Dean Boxall yanked off his mandatory mask, let out a scream that echoed through the largely empty arena, pumped his fists, and thrust his hips in moves reminiscent of Mick Jagger. He grabbed at a glass railing like he wanted to rip it apart.
Boxall's emotional display became an instant hit on social media, where one admirer tweeted it was ``the best reaction of all time.'' The Australian Olympic team tweeted a GIF that said the coach's reaction ``sums it up perfectly.''
Clocked 1:57.22 to finish Heat 4, fourth. Semifinals closed at 1:55.96 with South African Chad le Clos the last to qualify from Heat 5 at 1:55.96s. He finished 24th among 38 swimmers.
He had a reaction time of 0.70 seconds. Splits of 26.27s (fastest in the field - 24.80), 29.57s (28.75), 30.42s (29.31), 30.96s (29.45) - third lap could've been better. He was 1.26 seconds behind the last man in the semis, and 3.64 seconds behind the top time. Earlier, he had qualified for Tokyo with a timing of 1:56.38, which was 0.84 faster than today.
At an Olympics aiming to set the highest level of television standards, the head of broadcasting at the Tokyo Games is trying to banish overly sexualized images of female athletes. 'Sport appeal, not sex appeal' is one mantra Olympic officials push in an effort to reach gender equity on the field of play and on-screen.
'You will not see in our coverage some things that we have been seeing in the past, with details and close-up on parts of the body,' Olympic Broadcasting Services chief executive Yiannis Exarchos said Monday. That can be difficult with state-of-the-art technology filming sports — such as beach volleyball, gymnastics, swimming and track — where female athletes' uniforms can be scant and skimpy. Gymnasts from Germany sent a message against uniforms they believe exploit their sexuality by competing in Tokyo wearing unitards that covered their legs to the ankle.
The 5 heats are all over. And Sajan Prakash will not be going through to the semis. He is ranked 24th out of all the swimmers in the 5 heats. The top 16 go through. That's it for Sajan in the 200m butterfly then. Up next for India: Women's Hockey! Can they redeem Morose Monday for us?
Sajan's PB is 1:56.38s, which he had set at the Rome meet last month. Today it is 1:57.22s.
1:56.30 is the best time recorded in Heat 2. Sajan Prakash is 4th in Heat 2! With 1:57.22. 0.92 seconds behind the leader of the heat. Sajan's time is at least one second below his personal best.
There will be 5 heats. The top 16 from the 5 heats will go through to the semis. Could Sajan make it? We shall know after all the heats are over.
If you're looking for a reason to celebrate Sajan, he is the first ever Indian swimmer to make the Olympic A qualifying standard. He was in Rio, where he couldn't make it through the heats. Could he do something even more historic for India in swimming today?
READ | Sajan Prakash becomes first Indian to earn ‘A’ standard Olympic quota
READ | Single mom raising an Olympian: Through hell and high water
The first heat has started. Will be interesting to keep an eye on the timings. Sajan is up next in the 2nd heat.
Sajan Prakash is the next Indian Olympian in action today. Swimmer Sajan Prakash will also be competing in men's 200m butterfly heats.The last heats of the women's 200m free are going on now. The men's 200m butterfly begins after this. Sajan will be competing in the second heat.
The judges awarded the last round to Ashish! But after all three rounds, all 5 judges gave 29 points to the Chinese and 28 to Ashish. A narrow defeat, but the final score does not show that. A 5-0 unanimous win awarded to the Chinese!On to the swimming heats next, where Sajan Prakash is set to compete. The Indian hockey women's team is also in action later in the day.
The judges have decided! Even though we thought Ashish had much of the better openings in Round 2, the judges say all the rounds were won convincingly by the Chinese. That is the end of India's boxing campaign in the men's 75 kg category.
Underway in Round 3. Another solid right hook from Ashish as the fight goes down to the last 2 minutes. Ashish swings, the Chinese sways out of the way, Ashish loses his balance and falls on to the ropes. Down to the last drops of energy now! It's the Chinese who has been adjuded the winners of the first two rounds by 10-9.
It's Tuoheta who again starts the Round on the front foot, but then it's Ashish who roars back! Advances...advances... the Chinese is standing with his back on the ropes. Kumar keeps his attacks aimed high. It's the Indian who seems to be dominating this second round so far. Some excellent defence to sway out of the way on several occasions too.
'Niche upar maaro, thora niche raaho, dekh ke, dekh ke,' we hear the Indian coach's voice ring out as Ashish looks to counter the Chinese with punch for punch. Ashish gets a left jab to land right in the middle. An intense round of parrying in the first Round, with the Chinese looking to a bit more aggressive, but Ashish still well in control.
It's began! Ashish is taking on Erbieke Tuoheta (China) in Men’s 75kg Round of 32. It's the Chinese, in blue, who begins Round 1 on the front foot.
The last bout before Ashish enters the ring is now taking place. Meanwhile, here are some of the best photos from today's Olympics action so far:
Ashish Kumar, who is set to take the spotlight in the next few minutes, is the dark horse among India's Tokyo-bound boxers. Unheralded pugilist Ashish, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, will be competing in the middleweight category (75 kg) in what will be his first-ever appearance at the Olympics.
The 26-year-old will be competing in the same weight division in which Vijender Singh had won bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
South Korea obliterated India 6-0 in the quarterfinals of the men's team archery event on Monday. As it turns out, India lost their match against the eventual gold medal winners.
On a day we had a 13-year-old Olympic medallist, we also have a 57-year-old medal winner in men's skeet.
Nethra Kumanan's campaign meanwhile continues on Day 3. She finishes 40th in Race 4. That's the worst Race of her day so far. 3 more to go for her. She has slipped to 28th in the overall standings after this.
Boxer Ashish Kumar to take the ring in about an hour from now.
For some context on how gutsy Manika's run at Tokyo 2020 was:
All Indian women in singles table tennis at Olympics: P 16, W 1, L 15
Manika in women's singles at Olympics: P 4, W 2, L 2
The only other Indian woman to win a match was Niyati Roy Shah.
Manika Batra has come up with the best ever Olympic finish for an Indian in women's singles TT.
Manika Batra loses 4-0 in the third round of the table tennis women's singles event to World No 17 Sofia Polcanova of Austria. Polcanova had to undergo knee surgery just five months back, but looked unperturbed by Batra's use of the tricky long-pimple rubber.
Achanta Sharath Kamal is now the only table tennis player from India left at the Olympics. His third round match tomorrow will be against triple Olympic gold medallist, defending singles champion and former World No 1 Ma Long of China.
The fourth game. And this could be the last game. The Austrian takes a 3-1 lead in the game, before the Austrian coach takes a Time Out. Manika, with her coach's chair as empty as it has been for the whole of Tokyo 2020, now looking down and out. Few more minutes left to save her singles campaign. Three match points for the Austrian! And she seals it with the first.
Polcanova brushes aside Batra 11-8, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6.
Third game begins. Can Manika swing some of the rhythm her way? The Austrian takes the lead again from 3-3. Again a lot of variety on display from Polcanova as she claims another series of points to lead 6-3. Manika's forehand being attacked as the Austrian brings up 5 game points, and seals the deal with the first. Leads 11-8, 11-2, 11-5. One game away from the next round.
Second game begins! Polcanova starts with the first point. Ice-cold. Manika Batra catches the corner of the table with a defensive forehand to draw level. End-to-end! But then it's the Austrian who draws away with a series of points, showing all of her variety. Long service, short service, attack, defence, as Manika loses her rhythm. Loses 9 points on the run. A one-sided 2nd game. The Austrian now leads Manika 2 games to none.
World No. 63 Manika is taking on World No. 16 Sofia Polcanov, who is the tenth seed here. But it's the Austrian who claws back and takes the lead in the first game. Manika now trails 3-6 in the first game. She does well to keep toe to toe with the Austrian, but Manika is up against one of the best in the world today. She trails 7-9. Still not out of it.
But... it's the Austrian who takes the first game 11-8. Manika fought back, but it wasn't enough. Can she fight back in the next game? It's a best of 7 scenario here.
The Manika Batra hour is upon us. The final warm-ups are done. Manika to serbed first. And we are off! And the first point is won by Manika with an attacking backhand. And now goes 2-0 up.
Manika Batra is set to play her Singles Round 3 match in a few minutes.
Meanwhile, not everything is just about winning matches at the Olympics, as the judo arena shows again.
TT: Manika Batra is trailing a blaze for India in the women's singles TT. She is up against Austria's Sofia Polcanova in the Round 3 up next.
Shooting: India’s Angad Vir Singh Bajwa finished 18th while his senior compatriot Mairaj Ahmad Khan ended 25th in the men’s skeet event.
Sailing: Nethra Kumanan is also in action for India at the moment.
Excellent result for India's Nethra Kumanan, who crossed Mark 1 in 25th place but made up positions to finish Race 3 of the Women's Laser Radial event in 15th place! She's 21st overall, a decent shot at making the Top 10 with 7 races to come.
The run for India's tennis contingent ends at the Olympics as Sumit Nagal loses 6-2, 6-1 to World No 2 Daniil Medvedev in the second round of men's singles.The Indian saved a couple of match points on serve but anther match point is offered with a double fault, the game goes to deuce a third time and this time Medvedev clinches it.
Sumit Nagal struggled on the serve in this game at the start, but came back to two points. But clinical Medvedev won the game. He is leading 4-1 and now will serve again.
Daniil Medvedev manages to hold on to serve despite Sumit Nagal coming from behind to take it to a deuce. Medvedev leading 2-0 in 2nd set.
Medvedev broke little sweat in winning the first set, closes out the first set with a superb ace. Sumit Nagal loses the first set 6-2 in half-an-hour.
In Sailing Men's Laser Race, Indian sailor Vishnu Saravanan finishes 14th, 20th and 24th in 3 races getting an overall rank of 34. Score of best 9 races out of 10 will be considered before medal race.
Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Angad Vir Singh Bajwa fail to qualify for men's skeet final. Angad finishes 18th with a score of 120 and Mairaj finishes 25th with a score of 117.
Daniil Medvedev comes back from behind to break Sumit Nagal. He has taken a 4-1 lead in the first set. Nagal is getting some good shots in but can't keep up in the long rallies.
'Thats not what they said yesterday'
Sumit Nagal is getting frustrated, he is arguing with the referee over time delay. He takes Medvedev to deuce in the next game, who now holds for a 2-1 lead