Tokyo Olympics Day 15 Preview: Women's hockey team aims for a podium finish; Bajrang Punia in action

Wrestler Seema Bisla is also set to make her Olympic debut.

Day 15 at the Tokyo Olympics will once again witness several high-profile Indian athletes in action. On Friday, several Indian medal hopefuls will be seen at Tokyo 2020. The Indian women’s hockey team is all set to face Great Britain in a bid to clinch a historic medal at the Olympic Games. On the other hand, ace wrestler Bajrang Punia is all set to make his first appearance at the Tokyo Olympics.

Elsewhere, medal hopeful Seema Bisla and others will also be seen in action in their respective events at Tokyo Olympics on day 15. Here is a preview of all the Indian action on Day 15 at the Tokyo Olympics.

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Athletics: Men’s 50km Race Walk Final

Gurpreet Singh will be the lone Indian representative at this event. The Army man from Patiala had taken a break from race walking because of migraine issues. He returned to walking in 2019 after six years, and earlier in 2021, became the fifth Indian to go under four hours in the 50km walk. He has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics on the basis of his world ranking.

The event will begin at 2:00 AM IST.

Golf: Women’s Individual Stroke Play Round 3

Aditi Ashok is one of the finest female golfers that the country has ever produced. The 23-year-old has won the Ladies European Tour, Women’s Indian Open, Qatar Ladies Open and several other prestigious competitions. Ashok has lived up to her reputation so far in Tokyo, with a fantastic start in the first round.

On the other hand, promising golfer Diksha Dagar has had a slow start. She will be looking to improve her game in the third round. The event will start at 4:00 AM IST.

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Hockey Women’s: Bronze Medal Match - India Vs Great Britain

The Indian women’s hockey team will aim to clinch their maiden medal at the Olympic Games. The Women in Blue has had a historic campaign so far. They suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Argentina in the semi-finals.

They will now have a chance to clinch the bronze medal against Great Britain in a battle between the two losing semi-finalists. If they manage to do so, it will be the Indian women's hockey team's best-ever finish at the Olympic Games. The team had previously achieved a 4th place finish at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

The bronze medal match will begin at the Oi Hockey Stadium from 7:00 AM IST.

Men’s Wrestling: Freestyle 65kg 1/8 Finals

Bajrang Punia is one of India’s brightest medal prospects at the Tokyo Olympics. Punia will take part in the men’s freestyle 65kg category in his first-ever Olympics campaign in Tokyo.

Punia has made rapid strides in recent years. He has won gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games as well as in two Asian Championships. Earlier in 2021, he had claimed the silver medal in the Asian Wrestling Championships at Almaty, Kazakhstan.

There is no doubt that Bajrang Punia will be one of the most eye-catching grapplers in Tokyo. Punia, who hails from Haryana’s Jhajjar district, will be hoping that his maiden campaign bears fruit and he returns home as the toast of an entire nation. The event will begin at 8:00 AM IST.

Women’s Wrestling: 50kg Freestyle 1/8 Finals

A late bloomer, Seema Bisla has swiftly become one of the most discussed names in Indian wrestling. This upturn in fortunes is due to her securing a Tokyo Olympics berth after winning the gold in the World Wrestling Qualifiers in Sofia, Bulgaria. She became the fourth Indian woman wrestler to seal her place in the Tokyo Olympics, fulfilling a lifelong dream in the process.

The 28-year-old had also bagged the bronze medal at the 2021 Asian Wrestling Championships. Bisla has been an underdog for years and had even struggled to find her right weight category. However, she was not one to back away and her persistence has finally paid off. And, maybe the best is yet to come from Seema Bisla. The event will begin at 8:00 AM IST.

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Athletics: Women’s 20km Race Walk Final

The duo of Priyanka Goswami and Bhawna Jat will represent India in this event. Goswami had clocked 1:28.45 for a new national record at the race walk nationals in Ranchi in February.

On the other hand, Jat clocked 1:32.59 at the same event in Ranchi. Both of them are newcomers to international competitions and will have plenty to learn in Tokyo. The event will begin at 1:00 PM IST.

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Athletics: Men’s 4x400m Relay Round 1 - Heat 2

There will be two heats in the men's 4x400m relay race. India has been placed in Heat 2. The group also contains Jamaica, Japan, Colombia, France, Belgium, Poland and South Africa.

The Indian team will be headlined by national record holder Muhammed Anas. He will be joined by Arokia Rajiv, Amoj Jacob and Noah Nirmal Tom. The first three in each heat along with the next two fastest will qualify for the final. The race will begin at 5:07 PM IST.

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