Mixed Fortunes for Indian Athletes on Day 1 of Paris Olympics 2024

The Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024 experienced a day of highs and lows on the first day of the event, with notable performances in shooting, badminton, hockey, table tennis, boxing, and rowing. Some athletes advanced while others fell short in their respective competitions.

The opening day of the Paris Olympics 2024 presented a blend of outcomes for the Indian contingent, with several athletes achieving notable performances while others fell short of expectations.

In shooting, both Indian teams in the 10 m air rifle mixed team event struggled, with duos Elavenil Valarivan-Sandeep Singh and Arjun Babuta-Ramita Jindal failing to advance to the medal matches. Similarly, shooters Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Cheema did not reach the final round of the men's 10 m air pistol competition, placing 9th and 18th respectively. However, Manu Bhaker advanced to the final round of the women’s 10 m air pistol, finishing third in the qualifiers, while Rhythm Sangwan did not progress, concluding in 15th place.

In badminton, Lakshya Sen triumphed over Guatemala's Kevin Cordon in straight sets, and the men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated France’s Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar. Conversely, the women's doubles team of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto lost to Korea’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong.

The Indian Men’s Hockey Team started strong with a 3-2 win against New Zealand. Table tennis player Harmeet Desai advanced to the Round of 64, while boxer Preeti Pawar reached the Round of 16 in her maiden Olympics. Balraj Panwar faced challenges in rowing, finishing fourth in his heat and failing to advance directly to the quarterfinals.