Tokyo Olympics 2020 Highlights, Day 1: Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu wins silver; Netherlands thrash India 5-1 in women's hockey

India, at the end of Day 1 of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, find themselves at the 12th position thanks to Mirabai Chanu’s silver medal in the women’s 49kg event in weightlifting.

India begin Day 2 of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics hoping to add to their medal tally after getting their account opened by weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s silver in the women’s 49kg event. PV Sindhu, G Sathiyan, MC Mary Kom are some of the Indian sporting stars who will be action on Sunday.

FULL TIME: Netherlands 5-1 India

India appeared to be punching above their weight after Rampal’s equaliser, and hopes of holding the top-ranked Dutch side to a draw, or ending up winners were high at half time. But second half goals from van Geffen, Albers, Matla and van Maasakker helped Netherlands boss the remainder of the game, and show why they are such a highly-rated team and are strong favourites to finish with gold medals around their necks.

Rough start for the Indian team in the women’s hockey campaign, but the possibility of mounting a comeback from here certainly isn’t impossible.

GOAL! Netherlands 5-1 India

The second half of the game couldn’t be any more different from the first, as the Dutch convert yet another penalty corner thanks to Caia Jacqueline van Maasakker’s 52nd minute strike, increasing the gulf between the two sides by four goals. India, on the other hand, will hope to net a goal or two to salvage some pride.

GOAL! Netherlands 4-1 India

Netherlands are back to their dominant best in the third quarter and are showing why they are the top-ranked side in the world, as Frederique Matla sends the ball scorching past Savita with a powerful strike just a minute after Albers’ second goal.

Netherlands lead India 4-1 at the end of the third quarter, and it looks a one-way street from here

GOAL! Netherlands 3-1 India

The Dutch net another with two minutes left in Q3 as Felice Albers scores a second, deftly putting the ball past Savita.

GOAL! Netherlands 2-1 India

The Dutch make the most of the penalty corner in the third minute of Q3, as Margot van Geffen helps restore the lead. The second PC of the quarter awarded to the Dutch, and they have finally made it count this time.

End of Quarter 2: Nethelands 1-1 India

Indian goalkeeper Savita has been superb in front of the posts with her three saves so far in the game, as the two teams remain locked at 1-1 at the halfway stage in the opening Pool A encounter. Additionally, Netherlands’ Laura Nunnink has been shown a green card in the second quarter.

This has been a spirited fight so far from the Indians against the world No 1 side.

Quarter 2: Nethelands 1-1 India

A little over five minutes left in the second quarter, with three penalty corners being awarded — two to the Dutch. Neither side, however, is able to break the deadlock so far.

End of the first quarter; Netherlands 1-1 India

The hooter goes off at the end of an exhilerating first quarter, in which Netherlands’ Felice Albers before skipper Rani Rampal netted the equaliser with five minutes left. The Dutch were awarded a penalty corner in the dying minutes of the quarter, but failed to convert that thanks to a resolute Indian defence.

GOAL! Netherlands 1-1 India

It’s the captain herself who scores the equaliser for the Indians as Rani Rampal comes to the rescue with a little over five minutes left in the first quarter!

GOAL! Netherlands 1-0 India

Felice Albers makes the most of space afforded to her to put the Dutch in the lead in the opening Pool A encounter

India women’s hockey team face Netherlands

Next up, we have the Indian women’s hockey team opening their Tokyo campaign against Netherlands in a Pool A encounter. Tokyo 2020 will be the Indian women’s hockey team’s third appearance at the Games, the previous two being Moscow 1980 and Rio 2016. Since Rio 2016, the team has won the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy, 2017 Asia Cup, silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, and made it to the quarter-finals of the 2018 Women’s World Cup for the first time in history.

Sabse pehle mai pizza khaungi. Mujhe pizza bahaut pasand hai (I will eat pizza first after leaving from here as I love pizza), say Tokyo silver medallist Mirabai Chanu and her coach Vijay Sharma approves. She also thanks the country for standing by her side in her journey to the podium finish.

Via Sony Sports

They say weightlifters are never truly injury-free. Each time they step on to the lifting platform, there’s a niggle or pain that they have to ignore and power through. On Saturday, Mirabai finally recuperated from a five-year-long throbbing heartache.

Read about her success story here, in this story by Amit Kamath.

Words which can heal from gold medallist Abhinav Bindra. 

“My dear Vikas –  your self worth is not defined by your name on the ranking list !! We will always be proud of you! Also a good reminder for all of us to nurture athletes as holistic human being”, Bindra has tweeted after Krishan’s exit.

That’s it. Krishan’s campaign comes to an end here. He loses to Japan’s Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa in the opening round and has to make the exit. He was on back foot from the opening round itself and never looked like coming into a groove in the next two rounds as well. The local favourite has the last laugh and moves to the second round.  

A cut has appeared over Krishan’s left eye and he needs treatment. The referee will have a look as well. He is good to go for now. The Japanese is impressing the five judges as Indian has been found on the wrong foot at times. Okazava dominates this round as well. Krishan is on back foot here and needs a strong comeback. 

The Japanese noses ahead after the end of the first round as he collects all 10s from five judges. Krishan settles for nine. He needs to come back strongly in the next round.

Alright time for one of India’s finest boxers Vikas Krishan to begin another attempt at an Olympic medal. He enters the ring and so does his Japanese opponent Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa in Men’s Welter event. 

A huge match tomorrow for Games debutant Sathiyan!

**CHANGE IN MATCH TIMING**

IT’S SHOWTIME 😍🔥
Big day tomorrow (25 July) as I will take on Lam Siu Hang ( HKG) at 10.30 hrs IST at the Olympic match arena🇮🇳💪

Let’s go🇮🇳💪✌️#sathiyantt #tabletennis #sports #tokyo #olympics #matchday

Pc : @bigBdesign pic.twitter.com/DIPnG6dORe

— Sathiyan Gnanasekaran OLY (@sathiyantt) July 24, 2021

The seasoned Vikas Krishan (69kg) will open India’s boxing campaign on Saturday against local favourite Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa, just one of the several tricky opponents that the country’s pugilists will have to get past as they negotiate a challenging path to the medal rounds.

Read the preview here.

ICYMI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar among others wished Mirabai Chanu on her medal win.

READ Here

Up Next: 

Boxing: India’s Vikas Krishan will open India’s boxing campaign against local favourite Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa. Match at 3.50 pm IST. 

Hockey: India women’s team will be looking to repeat the success of the men’s team when they meet Netherlands in Pool A clash. The match starts at 5.15 pm IST

Watch this space for all updates related to these matches..

Gold for South Korea in mixed team of archery!

Korea takes gold! 🥇

Kim Je Deok and An San beat the Netherlands to win the first-ever #archery mixed team title at the @Olympics.#ArcheryatTokyo pic.twitter.com/HgBo4YTwKC

— World Archery (@worldarchery) July 24, 2021

Mirabai Chanu’s message to the country after her silver medal win! 

I am really happy on winning silver medal in #Tokyo2020 for my country 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/gPtdhpA28z

— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) July 24, 2021

India on Day 1 of the Olympics so far.

 – The biggest new first of all: Mirabai Chanu has clinched the first medal for India at Tokyo 2020: A SILVER MEDAL in the 49 kg of the weightlifting event. 

 – Heartbreak for India in shooting as medal prospect Saurabh Chaudhary finished 7th in 10m air pistol final and Abhishek Verma failed to make the cut into last-8. Earlier Apruvi Chandela and Elavenil Valarivan met disappointment in the 10m air rifle event.

 – Good and bad news in badminton as Satwik and Chirag start their campaign with win over world No 3 pair Lee/Wang. However, a shocking start for Sai Praneeth as he lost his opening match. 

– Indian men’s hockey team off to a good start with 3-2 win over New Zealand.

– Archery Mixed Team of Deepika and Pravin did well to enter the QF but lost to S Korea.

 – In tennis, Sumit Nagal goes past Denis Istomin in round 1 to become first Indian man to win a match in 25 years.

 – In TT, disappointment for Sharath Kamal and Manika in mixed pair event but Manika later makes it up by winning her first round in women’s singles as well as  Sutirtha Mukherjee who won a thriller against Linda Bergstroem of Sweden.

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

This is just incredible from Sutirtha, she’s really upped her levels here. She zips into a 4-0 lead in this deciding game. Her Swedish opponent looks befuddled at the moment. Mukherjee wins the game 11-5 and she’s into round 2!

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

Things are heating up here. Sutirtha Mukherjee has to win this game. After an even first few points, Mukherjee manages to force through a 7-4 lead. The Indian then gets gamepoint on 10-7, and then she levels the match with an 11-9 win!

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

What a response from Sutirtha! She’s up 6-0 in the fifth game, she’s giving it everything she’s got here. Three points apiece, and it’s 9-3. Can Sutirtha hold on here? YES SHE CAN! 11-3 and she makes it 3-2 in this match.

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

After showing great promise in the second game, Sutirtha Mukherjee will be hoping to level the match once again. She trails early, but manages to make it 9-9.A couple of mistakes from Mukherjee and Bergstroem has a 3-1 lead in the match.

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

After losing the second game, Bergstroem appears to have switched to a more cautious approach. She uses it to good effect, getting into a 3-7 lead. Sutirtha Mukherjee fights back to 7-7. The rest of the game is neck and neck, until the Swede wins 11-13

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

Mukherjee wins the first two points of game 2. Building on that lead, she works up to an 8-2 advantage. Bergstroem then does well to fight back to 9-9. This is tight, but Sutirtha stays strong to win the game!

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

Sutirtha Mukherjee takes on Linda Bergstroem in the women’s singles round 1. Not a great start from Mukherjee, she trails 0-5 early on. She fights back to 5-8, but Bergstroem wins the first game 11-5.

Road to silver medal: Mirabai Chanu

Mirabai Chanu’s journey to Tokyo Olympics silver medal started in Rio Olympics. It was then that she buckled under pressure in dramatic fashion. And the last two years have been of stiff training in the USA while coping with the rising expectations. And as today proved, they were there for a good reason. [Read]

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

Manika Batra needs just one more game to wrap this match up. Ho again starts the brighter, finding herself in a 3-5 lead. The pair continue to trade blows, until Batra levels at 8-8. All Batra after that, and she wins the game to 11-9 to seal the match.

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

Ho comes out for game 3 looking a little more confident. A couple of errors here and there from Batra, and Ho takes a 5-8 lead. What a comeback from Batra, she levels game 3 at 10-10 and then wins it!

Table Tennis – Women’s Singles

Manika Batra is looking really good out there, she’s sharp and reacting so well to everything. She’s up 8-1 with relative ease, she’s reading Ho’s every move. ho fights back to 9-6. Batra steadies herself and wraps it up at 11-6.