India’s boxer Nishant Dev secured a spot in the quarter-finals, while paddler Sreeja Akula’s journey ended in the women’s singles event at the ongoing Paris Olympics.
Nishant Dev clinched his place in the final eight after a tense bout against Ecuador’s Jose Rodriguez. The match concluded with a split decision verdict in favor of Dev, allowing him to advance to the men’s 71kg quarter-finals.
While India celebrated success in boxing, there was disappointment in table tennis. Sreeja Akula, who had the chance to become the first Indian paddler to reach the quarter-finals at the Olympics, was defeated by the world’s number one player, Yingsha Sun from China, on her birthday.
Akula started strong, dominating the opening two games and raising hopes of a historic win. However, Yingsha Sun’s prowess proved too formidable. In the first game, Akula had four game points but lost six consecutive points to Yingsha, ending the game at 10-12.
A similar scenario unfolded in the second game, where Akula’s five-point lead was overturned by Yingsha’s seven consecutive points, resulting in another 10-12 defeat.
Yingsha’s relentless attacks continued in the next two games, with Akula struggling to counter her forehand and backhand shots. Despite a valiant effort, Akula lost the third game 8-11 and the fourth game 3-11, thus concluding her run in the women’s singles event.
