Shuttler Lakshya Sen and shooter Swapnil Kusale faced tough challenges but triumphed on a successful day for India at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Lakshya Sen, competing in his first Olympics, advanced to the knockouts by defeating world No. 4 and reigning All England champion Jonatan Christie 21-18, 21-12. Sen topped the most competitive group in the men’s singles badminton event.
Swapnil Kusale, also an Olympic debutant, finished seventh in the 50m men’s rifle 3 positions qualification. He scored 590, tying with three other competitors but advancing due to more inner 10s (38). Kusale will compete for a medal in an event where no Indian shooter has ever medaled. The final will be held on Thursday at the Chateauroux shooting ranges.
Sen overcame initial challenges, winning his first Olympic match against Kevin Cordon, which was later nullified when Cordon withdrew from the tournament. With no margin for error, Sen secured victories against Belgian Julien Carraggi and Christie, against whom he had a 1-4 record. His performance positions him as a formidable contender in the Round of 16.
“The match today boosts my confidence,” Sen said, wiping away sweat. “I’ll reflect on these matches, improve, and come back strong for the Round of 16.”
In two major finals in recent years, Kusale finished fourth. Last year at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Kusale was on track to win India’s first Asian Games 50m 3P gold when he was knocked out by a low 7.6. Two years earlier, in the Cairo World Championships final, where he secured the Paris Olympics quota, he was second until the final shot, when an 8.2 undid all his efforts.
Kusale, a fan of cricketer MS Dhoni, would seek to carry the confidence from his qualification score into the final. The 28-year-old shot 198 in kneeling, 197 in prone, and 195 in standing to place among the top eight on a list topped by Liu Yukun, the Chinese shooter.
Boxer Lovlina Borgohain, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist, started her Paris campaign with a unanimous 5-0 victory against Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad, advancing to the 75kg quarter-finals.
Later, Manika Batra, the first Indian table tennis player to reach the Round of 16 in singles, lost 4-1 to Japan’s world No. 13 and 8th seed Miu Hirano.
