(S.Ravi Seshu)
Even as all nook and corners of India decked up to celebrate the 70th Independence Day on Monday, Indian athletes at Rio Olympics presented an indigestible Sunday much to the chagrin of sports-lovers who glued to TV sets to hear at least a piece of good news.
India’s best shuttler and World No-5, Saina Nehwal, started the day-9 at Rio with a horrible note by losing to less known Marija Ulitina of Ukraine (World No-61) 18-21, 19-21 in the Group-G match leaving India heart-broken. The bronze medalist in the last Olympics and former World No-1, submitted meekly to Ulitina. Another big hope in Shuttle Badminton, the 21-year-old PV Sindhu of Hyderabad, sent shockwaves across the nation by losing the first set 19-21 against Glasgow Commonwealth Champ Li Michelle of Canada in Group-M match. But, Sindhu fought back like a champion and closed it 19-21, 21-15, 21-17 to reach pre-quarter finals. Sindhu put up a fantastic show to nail down the opponent in the last two sets. In men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth, a former World No 3, defeated Sweden’s Henri Hurskainen 21-6, 21-18 in the second match of Group- H to enter into pre-quarter finals.
Hockey, Indian national sport that produced some Golds in Olympics in good old days, too didn’t prove to be lucky enough for India. Hunting for the first Olympic Hockey semi-finals since 1980, Men in blue gave their best but lost to strong European rivals Belgium 1-3. Lacked the needed ideas to stop the Belgium’s attack, Sreejesh team succumbed without much ado.
India’s six-time Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza and her partner Rohan Bopanna were blown away by Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradceka (Czech) in the bronze medal Play-off in tennis mixed doubles. The Indian pair, medal prospects, suffered a 1-6, 6-7 humiliation.
A little before midnight, a 23-year-old, Dipa Karmakar, who created history by becoming the first Indian women to qualify for the apparatus finals of artistic Gymnastics in Olympics, narrowly missed a medal. Before the ultimate winner Simon Biles of USA entered the arena, Dipa stood third creating some hopes for title-starved Indian but the sensational American deprived Indians a moment of joy. However, the Tripura girl made India proud with her stunning performance in Rio
