India had the best Friday at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Lakshya Sen, the nation’s final hope for a badminton medal, put up an exciting display as she defeated Chou Tien Chen with scores of 19-21, 21-15, and 21-12 to move on to the semi-finals. Sen became the first male Indian shuttler to go to the semi-finals in Olympic history with this victory. It also guaranteed Sen a spot in the finals.
Lakshya Sen is playing some unbelievable badminton in the Paris Olympics. One can only imagine the hard grind that he must have gone through to pull off shots like that. Truly special! #Paris2024 #Paris2024Olympic #LakshyaSen #Olympia2024 #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/5WiUni6gx4
— Alok Kumar 🇮🇳 (@IasAlok) August 2, 2024
Lakshya Sen Has a Historic Achievement
To the joy of Indian sports fans, Sen overcame a first-game deficit with remarkable skill and perseverance. The Indian men’s hockey team made history by defeating Australia 3-2 in a pool stage match, which increased the enthusiasm. With this victory, India has won Olympic hockey against Australia for the first time since 1972.
India took an early lead in the match by scoring two goals in the opening quarter, setting up a thrilling contest. India demonstrated their dominance and strategic skill on the field by holding fast to earn the victory despite Australia’s valiant attempt to rally.
Indian Men’s Hockey Team’s Historic Victory
Manu Bhaker, a two-time Olympic medallist, kept up her good form by making it to the final of her third event, the 25-meter pistol. After a difficult Thursday in which India’s performances were uneven, Bhaker’s performance gave the Indian team a much-needed lift. Her skill and tenacity have been a light of hope for the country and the team.
Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara defeated couples from Indonesia and Spain to go to the mixed-team event semifinals in archery. They lost to Korea in the semifinals and the United States in the bronze medal match, though, as they encountered fierce opposition in the ensuing rounds.
Looking Ahead
Lakshya Sen’s next test will come from the victor of the men’s semi-final match between Denmark’s top seed Viktor Axelsen and Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew. The 22-year-old, who took home a bronze medal from the 2021 World Championships, outperformed world number 11 Chou Tien Chen.
Chou Tien Chen also took home a bronze from the 2022 World Championships, by showcasing incredible speed and accuracy and by remaining composed under pressure. Following the retirement of PV Sindhu in the women’s singles and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the men’s doubles, Sen emerged as India’s top shuttler.