Tokyo Olympics 2020 Live: Bajrang Punia loses in semifinals
(Courtesy : TOI / PTI/ Hockey India)
Tokyo Olympics Day 16 Preview: Neeraj Chopra & Aditi Ashok look to clinch medal
Domestic women's hockey league is the need of the hour, feels Sjoerd Marijne
5:35 PM We now bid goodbye to you. See you again tomorrow for more action involving the Indians at the Tokyo Olympics. Until then, take care and stay safe! Keep following Khel Now for all the latest updates from the world of sports.
5:30 PM It was a largely disappointing day for the Indian contingent. The wrestlers were expected to perform better. Bajrang Punia suffered a heavy defeat in his semi-final bout. Whereas, Seema Bisla failed to clear the first hurdle itself. The women's hockey team lost narrowly to Great Britain in the bronze medal encounter.
The men's 4x400m relay team finished a commendable 4th, to set a new Asian record. Even that was not enough to send them through to the finals. In the women's 20km race walk final, Priyanka Goswami faded away after a promising start.
The only bright spark has been golfer Aditi Ashok. She continues to occupy the second position and is still in medal contention going into the final day of the event.
5:25 PM That concludes all the action from Day 15 of the Tokyo Olympics. Hope you've enjoyed our coverage!
5:20 PM Men's 4x400m relay: The Indian team misses out on a finals spot, due to superior timings by Italy and Netherlands in Heats 1.
5:18 PM Men's 4x400m relay: Poland wins the race. Jamaica finishes second and Belgium comes third.
5:16 PM Men's 4x400m relay: The Indian team finishes with timing of 3:00.25. That's a new Asian record. But, they miss out on a final spot by a whisker.
5:15 PM Men's 4x400m relay: Brilliant effort from the Indian team. They finish the race in 4th place!
5:10 PM Men's 4x400m relay: The men's 4x400m relay's second heat is underway.
5:08 PM Men's 4x400m relay: The Indian team consists of national record holder Muhammed Anas. He will be joined by Arokia Rajiv, Amoj Jacob and Noah Nirmal Tom.
5:06 PM Men's 4x400m relay: The Indian team will now feature in the second and final heat. They will face a tough challenge against Jamaica, Colombia, France, Belgium, Japan, Poland and South Africa.
5:04 PM Men's 4x400m relay: Just a reminder. Only the first 3 teams in each heat will qualify for the finals. The next two fastest, across both heats, will also join them.
5:02 PM Men's 4x400m relay: The Americans have clocked a timing of 2:57.77. Meanwhile, Botswana sets a new African record with a timing of 2:58.33
5:00 PM Men's 4x400m relay: The USA wins the first heats. The Botswana team comes a surprise second, and Trinidad & Tobago finishes in third.
4:58 PM Welcome back! The men's 4x400m relay event has begun.
3:35 PM: We will now see you at 5:07 PM with the Men's 4x400m relay Heat 2. India have been placed in the group with Jamaica, Japan, Colombia, France, Belgium, Poland and South Africa.
The day promised a lot for the Indians but only a few of them stood up to expectations. Golfer Aditi Ashok keeps on mesmerising with her brilliant performance. She is currently in the second position with a total of 201 and needs one good day to finish on the podium. Coming to Hockey, the Indian Eves failed to match their male counterparts as they lost the Bronze medal match 3-4 against Great Britain.
In racewalking also there was not much luck as both Priyanka Goswami and Bhavna Jatt finished well behind the top 10. All hopes were pinned on Bajrang Punia who stormed his way into the semifinals but lost out against Haji Aliyev. He will now wait for the Bronze medal match. Overall it has been a mixed bag day for the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics.
3:21 PM Wrestling: Bajrang Punia will now play for a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday.
3:10 PM Wrestling: Bajrang Punia loses the match 12-5 against Haji Aliyev.
3:09 PM Wrestling: Last thirty seconds Bajrang trailing by 9-5. He needs to attack or else it's gone.
3:08 PM Wrestling: Bajrang needs to throw caution to the wind if he wants to win this bout. He is 8-3 down with a little more than a minute left.
3:07 PM Wrestling: It is Aliyev asking all the questions and sadly Bajrang has simply not come up with answers., The Indian wrestler is 8-1 down.
3:05 PM Wrestling: Bajrang trails 4-1 after the first three minutes.
3:04 PM Wrestling: Bajrang opens the scoring. But a great reversal from Aliyev means that he gets 2 points.
3:01 PM Wrestling: A cagey start from both the grapplers as they look to start with caution.
3:00 PM Wrestling: The Semifinal between Bajrang Punia and Haji Aliyev is going to start any moment from now. Both wrestlers are out on the mat.
2:58 PM Wrestling: RIVAL WATCH: Japan's Takuto Otoguro has beaten ROC's Gadzhimurad Rashidov by 3-2. It was an intense encounter where both grapplers gave their best. Otoguro progresses to the finals of Men's freestyle 65kg.
2:52 PM Wrestling: RIVAL WATCH: In the other semifinal, Japan's Takuto Otoguro after the first round leads ROC's Gadzhimurad Rashidov by 2-0.
2:45 PM Wrestling: The two wrestlers have faced each other only once at the Pro Wrestling League in 2019. Bajrang prevailed there defeating Aliyev 8-6 in a very close contest.
2:40 PM Wrestling: Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia will have a tall task in front of him as he will face Azerbaijan's Haji Aliyev in the semifinals. The 30-year-old grappler is a 3-time World Champion and won the Bronze medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Therefore it promises to be a very intense clash between two world-class wrestlers.
2:35 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: The Italians have broken the Chinese domination. Antonella Palmisano wins the women’s 20km race walk final. Massimo Stano, also of Italy, had won the men’s 20km race event yesterday. Incidentally, today is Palmisano’s 30th birthday. A memorable day for her.
India’s Priyanka Goswami finishes in 17th position. Another representative Bhawna Jat ends the race in the 32nd spot.
2:29 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: The final couple of kilometres remaining in the race. Priyanka is now in the 17th spot. Bhawna Jat finds herself in the 32nd position. Meanwhile, world champion and world record holder Jiayu Yang had received a two-minute penalty. The Chinese athlete’s hopes are over now.
2:09 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: After 14 kms, Priyanka Goswami is now in 15th position. We have to appreciate her performance so far. However, it’s proving to be very tough now due to the climatic conditions.
1:47 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: We’re halfway through the race. The heat is starting to have its toll on the race walkers now. Priyanka Goswami had dropped back to the 9th position. Meanwhile, Bhawna Jat is in the 33rd spot.
1:40 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: After 8kms, Priyanka Goswami has jumped up to the 1st spot. What a performance so far!
1:29 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: The first 6kms of the race has been completed. India’s Priyanka Goswami is amongst the leading pack. She is in 3rd place. Yesterday, we had seen a good start from Sandeep Kumar as well. So, let’s not get carried away!
1:11 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: After the end of the first 2kms, India’s Priyanka Goswami is in the 17th spot. On the other hand, Bhawna Jat is currently in the 34th position.
12:58 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: Both of them are newcomers to international competitions and this will be a learning curve for them. A total of 58 participants are taking part in this race. It is being held at the Sapporo Odori Park.
12:54 PM Women's 20KM Race Walk Final: Two Indian participants Priyanka Goswami and Bhawna Jat will represent India in the women’s 20km race walk final. 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.
12:35 PM Another Indian golfer Diksha Dagar is on T51 after the third round with a total of 220. She would like to improve her performance to gain more confidence.
12:17 PM Silver is almost confirmed for Aditi Ashok. If she doesn't doo agonizingly bad on Round 4. If it doesn't happen, she's bringing home to silver!
11:50 PM Star Indian golfer Aditi Ashok is on the cusp of winning an Olympic medal. She finished the third round in second position with a total of 201 points.
How did Bajrang win while trailing for most of the match?
9:54 AM Aditi Ashok continues to go strong, and with a couple of birdies, looks set to win a silver. However, it is too early to say.
The morning hasn't been the best for Indian women in action otherwise. Seema Bisla failed to win her women's freestyle encounter in 50kg category and the Women's hockey team came agonizingly close to winning a bronze.
Bajrang Punia, a strong contender and second seed at Tokyo, has cruised into the semis of 65kg freestyle. We will keep you covered as he gets back in action at around 2:45 PM today. Looking forward, there's a Women's 20 km Walk Race and Men's 4*400m Relay Round 1 heats for Indians.
9:52 AM Bajrang will play Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan in the semis. He will be in action at around 2:45 PM later in the day.
9:50 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/4 final: Bajrang has changed the scenario of the match with just a single move he got in the whole match. He advances to the semi-finals!
9:49 AM BAJRANG PUNIA WINS IT BY PIN! SHOWS HIS CLASS!
9:48 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/4 final: Bajrang showing signs of aggression and is trying every skill to open his account. Another passivity given against him.
9:46 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/4 final: Bajrang has conceded 1 point to Morteza. Both wrestlers are trying very hard to get grip on the opponent. After the first period, Iran's Morteza leading with 1-0.
9:44 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/4 final: Bajrang is showing great defensive play, he is not giving any point easily. He's given the passivity clock.
9:43 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/4 final: Morteza is attacking from the start and is trying to put pressure on Bajrang.
9:42 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/4 final: Both wrestlers have entered the ring, Bajrang is in blue and Morteza is in red.
9:18 AM Women's Golf - Aditi has a par shot on 12th. However, a bogey on the 11th has seen has drop to T3, with a -10. She'll need birdies, or even an eagle. Two bogeys hasn't helped her as her score for the day stands at -1. Diksha, meanwhile, has 4 at pars in 4 shots. She rises another place on the rankings table.
9:14 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/4: After winning his debut game at the Olympics, Bajrang Punia will now face Ghiasi Cheka Morteza of Iran. It is an important match for Bajrang. He had lost to Morteza at the 2019 World Championships. Meanwhile, news is that Seema Bisla will not enter repechage. Her Tunisian opponent lost 10-0 (on technical superiority).
9:10 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/4: The Indian wrestler moves into the quarters, set to begin soon. Go nowhere! He will face M Cheka Ghiasi of Iran in 1/4.
9:05 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/8: The scores are level as the Kyrgyz wrestler earns two technical points. The game ended in a draw but due to more points won on a single move, Bajrang managed to win the game.
9:03 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/8: Bajrang is continuing to play on the offensive and is trying to get more points but Akmataliev is defending himself.
9:01 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/8: What an amazing move by Bajrang! He manages to throw his opponent out of the ring and secures 2 points. After the first period, Punia leads with 3-1.
9 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/8: The spoils are shared for a while, before Punia makes it 3-1! The Indian is in no mood to relent.
8:59 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/8: Bajrang Punia gets an early lead with 1 point against his opponent.
8:58 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/8: Bajrang Punia has started on an aggressive note. He is trying hard to get an early lead.
8:55 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/8: Ernazar Akmataliev of Kyrgyzstan in Red will take on Bajrang Punia of India in Blue. It is an important match for both wrestlers who would want to start their Olympic campaign with victory.
8:48 AM Women's Hockey - There is despair on the turf and on the faces of Indian women.
They came so close but end up without a medal here in Tokyo, Japan. The courage shown by Indian women players is remarkable.
They cannot hold back their tears and the disappointment is overwhelming. The match was a roller-coaster of emotions.
India came back to lead 3-2 after going down by two goals. However, the GBR team were too good on the day and won the match by 4-3.
8:46 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg 1/8: Bajrang Punia, the current world number two, is a two-time Asian Championship and has also won a silver medal at the World Championship. In his debut games, he will surely look to make his mark in history.
LOST, BUT BRAVELY FOUGHT! They'll return with their heads held high!
8:46 AM Women's Hockey - Heartbreak for Indian women's hockey team. They lose to Great Britain by 4-3 and lose the chance to secure a first-ever Olympic medal.
8:45 AM Women's Hockey - One minute to play now. India's hopes hanging by a thread. GBR holding the possession. Is there drama left in this one?
8:44 AM Women's Hockey - 1 minute 30 seconds left to play. India lose their referral after referee does not award a PC to them.
8:42 AM Women's Hockey - Two minutes left to play. A miracle is needed here to salvage the fixture. Hopes are fading but it is not over until the final whistle.
8:41 AM Women's hockey - Three minutes left to play. A fabulous cross from Navjot Kaur did not find any deflection in the center and the opportunity goes begging. GBR are nearing the victory here.
8:40 AM Wrestling Men's Freestyle 65kg: Bajrang Punia, a big hope for a medal, will make his Olympics debut today against the Ernazar Akmataliev of Kyrgyzstan.
8:40 AM Women's Hockey - Four minutes left to play. GBR are wasting time by holding the ball and not letting India create scoring opportunities. India needs to throw the kitchen sink at them!
8:38 AM Women's Hockey - Only five left to play. India back to 11 players after the green card suspension is over. Score is still 4-3 in GBR's favor.
8:36 AM Women's Hockey - A rehydration break is called in by the referee. Coach Marijne is giving his final words of encouragement to the Indian team. Can they turn things around?
8:34 AM Women's Hockey - The attempt goes inside the goal but the ball seemed to have hit an Indian foot before. GBR survive the PC. Seven minutes and thirty seconds to go for India.
8:31 AM Women's Hockey - Green card is shown to Sharmila as soon as Udita came back from suspension. Another two minutes of playing with a player down. Eight minutes left. India get a PC meanwhile.
8:30 AM Women's Hockey - Nine minutes to go for India to draw level here. Can they find a scoring opportunity?
8:28 AM Women's Hockey - India are having to take risks by throwing women forward. They are still a person down after Udita was shown a yellow card. GBR are also leading in circle penetrations with 21 to India's 8.
8:26 AM Women's Hockey - GBR get the lead after a flurry of PC's. They lead the contest by 4-3. Savita would be disappointed as the ball went through her legs. Grace Balsdon is the scorer. What next? A twist in the tale?
8:25 AM GBR SCORE! GBR 4-3 India
8:25 AM Women's Hockey - GBR get another PC after the ball hits Salima Tete. A person down is hurting India. The deflection leads to another PC.
8:23 AM Women's Hockey - The PC comes to nothing and the ball hits Nisha who is down injured. A show of immense bravery from the defender. India are a woman down and the numbers advantage could work in GBR's favour.
8:22 AM Women's Hockey - GBR get a first PC of the quarter and a yellow card for Udita. She must sit out for five minutes. A bad start for India here.
8:20 AM Women's Hockey - Fourth and final quarter starts with the match hanging in balance here. The score is tied at 3-3. Can Indian women make history and secure a win or will the GBR team show their quality and get the victory? We are about to witness.
8:18 AM Women's Golf Aditi scored birdies in 6th and 7th shot, but also got a bogey on the 9th. Currently, she's standing on 2nd with -11. Her 10th shot was at par. Diksha Dagar, meanwhile, begins with a shot at par.
8:17 AM Women's Hockey - The attempt from Deep Grace Ekka is saved and India could not benefit from the opportunity. The score is level at 3-3 and last 15-minutes left to play here.
8:16 AM Women's Hockey - Savita makes another big save and keeps India in the match. Both teams are putting their all in order to score the next goal. Meanwhile India get a PC after a video referral.
8:14 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Overall, Bisla defended well till the first half, but in the second half, Hamdi was seen overpowering her.
8:13 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Hamdi defeats Seema Bisla by 2 points, knocking out Bisla from the match. The final score is: Seema Bisla 1-3 Sarra Hamdi
8:12 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: One more point for Hamdi. Now she is leading with 2 points. 3-1 to her at the moment.
8:12 AM Women's Hockey - Savita pulls off a massive save to keep the scores level. GBR turning on the heat on an already warm day. Three minutes left to play in the third quarter.
8:11 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: We are approaching the last minute of the match and both players are tough on each other and Hamdi is defending well.
8:11 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Bisla has scored one point. The score is: Bisla 1-2 Hamdi
8:10 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: For the second time, Bisla has got passivity clock. This isn't looking good for the Indian wrestler.
8:10 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Hamdi still leads. Bisla needs to do something out of the box here. The current score is: Bisla 0-2 Hamdi
8:10 AM Women's Hockey - One of the changes seen after India scored their three goals is that GBR are sitting deep. Leading to more possession (56%) for India.
8:09 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Second half begins. Hamdi 2-0 Bisla.
8:08 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Both contestants are heavy on each other but the Tunisian player has scored 1 point over Bisla. 1-0.
8:08 AM Women's Hockey - There's a rehydration break called by the referee. GBR starting the third quarter at a frantic note has seen them level the match to 3-3.
8:07 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Seema Bisla has got the passivity clock. Sarra Hamdi has a point.
8:05 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Match between Bisla and Hamdi begins.
8:04 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Bisla and Hamdi are here on the match and all set to play.
8:04 AM Women's Hockey - The attempt goes wide but the referee gives another PC after the ball hits a GBR defender. Gurjit's shot is saved!
8:03 AM Women's Hockey Meanwhile, Sharmila wins India a crucial PC. Can Gurjit score a third here?
8:02 AM Women's Hockey - GBR scores! Webb-Pearne gets the goal! Umpire referral didn't see any infringement and the match is level again. GBR 3-3 India.
8 AM Women's Hockey - First five minutes of the third quarter have certainly gone to GBR. They're creating more scoring opportunities while Indians defense is doing it's best to keep their lead intact.
7:58 AM Women's Hockey - GBR get their first PC of the third quarter. The deflection from an attacker is saved by Monika!
7:57 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: It is going to be a tough match and after Vinesh Phogat and Anshu Malik, Seema is our next hope in women's wrestling.
7:56 AM Women's Hockey - Third quarter starts and if the first half is any indication, we are in for a nail-biter here. Five goals were scored in the second quarter which means anything can happen until the final whistle is blown. India finished on a massive high and must look to replicate their performance from the first-half. GBR 2-3 India.
7:56 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Sarra Hamdi, her opponent, earned silver at the 2019 African Games. At the African Championships, the 22-year-old wrestler won two silver and two bronze medals. She was placed third in the women's freestyle 50 kg event at the 2020 African Wrestling Championships in Algeria and qualified for the 2021 African & Oceania Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament.
7:55 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Seema then lost weight and won bronze in the women's 50kg event at the Asian Wrestling Championships in 2021, qualifying for the Summer Games through the World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bulgaria. She will compete in her first Olympics and is anticipated to advance through the preliminary rounds.
7:54 AM Women's Hockey These women are 1800 seconds away from creating history. Will they?
7:52 AM Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50KG 1/8 Finals: Seema Bisla will begin her Olympic campaign in the Women's freestyle wrestling 50kg 1/8 final against Tunisian Sarra Hamdi. The 28-year-old has made a stylish comeback by booking a flight to Tokyo. In the women's 55 kg event, she was knocked out in the first round of the 2018 World Wrestling Championships, and she was also knocked out in the second round of the 2019 World Wrestling Championships.
7:48 AM It took this Indian team just four minutes to turn the game on its head! Imagine what this would do to the confidence of GBR Women. 2 drag flicks from Gurjit set the tone for Vandana to score the third!
7:46 AM Stan Lee wouldn't write this script!
7:46 AM Women's Hockey - Second quarter ends. A sublime quarter of hockey that saw five goals go in. India were down by two goals and are now up by 3-2. Coach Marijne's words have definitely done the trick. However, this match is far from over. Gurjit Kaur with a brace and what an important goal from Vandana Katariya, silencing her critics. It is GBR 2-3 India at the break.
7:43 AM Women's Hockey - Its good!!! Vandana Katariya scores India's third goal after a great streak of attacking moves pinning the British defense down. These ladies know how to make a comeback! GB 2-3 India. They're creating a folklore for generations here!
7:40 AM INDIA 3-2 GBR! India take the lead. However, there's an umpire referral going on!
7:39 AM Women's Hockey - So close! Vandana slides in a great through ball in Sharmila's path but her attempt goes wide! India pumping up pressure!
7:38 AM Women's Hockey - GURJIT AT IT AGAIN!!!! INDIA ARE LEVEL!!! What an incredible comeback from Indian women. They score from the PC again through Gurjit Kaur's raw power. She's looking dangerous and out for goals! GB 2-2 India.
7:37 AM Women's Hockey - Salima Tete runs the whole length of the turf and wins India another PC. Brilliant running from Salima there. Forcing the issue!
7:35 AM GURJIT SCORES!! WHAT A SHOW, FULL OF RAW POWER!! India have reduced the lead to a single goal. GB 2-1 India.
And IT'S A GOAL! INDIA SCORE!
7:34 AM Women's Hockey - Lalremsiami wins India's second PC of the match. Gurjit Kaur's attempt leads to another penalty corner.
7:32 AM Women's Hockey - Great Britain score again. That was a pleasure to watch in all honesty. A great attacking move from the right-flank sees Sarah Robertson increase the lead by two goals. GB 2-0 India
7:30 AM Women's Hockey - India's Nisha is shown a green card and must sit out for two minutes.
7:27 AM Women's Hockey - India create their first real chance and goalkeeper Madeleine Hinch makes a good save to keep them at bay. Shot attempted by Lalremsiami. India get a PC meanwhile. Gurjit Kaur's flick goes wide. Opportunity missed.
7:26 AM Women's Hockey - The attempt goes wide and fortunately it is still 1-0 in favour of GB. Meanwhile, the first goal is awarded to Elena Rayer.
7:24 AM Women's Hockey - GB earn their third PC of the match. They are all over the Indians at the moment who can't even breach the opponent's half.
7:22 AM Women's Hockey - Great Britain score! It's an own goal from Deep Grace Ekka who deflects a cross in her own goal. GB 1-0 India. Poor start for the Indian women.
7:20 AM Women's Hockey - Second quarter starts. Hopefully, Indian women can implement the coach's words effectively. First 15 minutes did not go accordingly for them. Need to create more scoring chances.
7:19 AM Women's Golf Aditi had a shot at par on the 5th hole, but now has -11 with another birdie! She's going strong.
7:16 AM END OF QUARTER 1. India 0-0 Great Britain. GB definitely come away as the happier team in terms of performance.
They had six circle penetrations to only one from India. This looks like the previous meeting between these two teams. Indian camp must come up with something different.
7:14 AM GB are dominating possession here and are creating far more scoring opportunities. Indian defense needs to find some composure at the moment. About two minutes and a few seconds left.
7:12 AM A fumble in controlling the PC leads to India recovering possession. They've dodged a bullet there. Need to be more careful and not give away cheap PCs.
7:10 AM Five minutes left to go for the first quarter. Both teams have started equally and are testing each other. The early round of punches doesn't have a clear winner here. Meanwhile, GB get their second PC of the match...
7:07 AM India is playing on the front foot and with confidence. But, the GB defense is absolutely solid and aren't giving any room to Indian attackers.
7:05 AM India have thrown numbers forward and are trying to get the first goal here. Salima Tete has started well on the left-flank. However, they must be wary of counter-attacks from Britain.
7:03 AM Brilliant save from Savita Punia who keeps the score 0-0 here! This will help her confidence going into this massive game!
7:02 AM Women's Hockey - GB get their first PC of the match in the first couple of minutes. Can Savita Punia come up with the goods?
7 AM - Women's Hockey - First quarter begins of what is the biggest game in Women's Hockey for India. Can the female players etch their names in hockey folklore?
They need to avenge their earlier defeat to the Britishers and come out on top. Odds are stacked against them but it's under pressure that these girls have learnt to thrive.
6:57 AM Women's Hockey - We are a few minutes away from the start of the bronze medal match at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Players will make their way onto the turf, followed by both national anthems being played in all their glory. India vs Great Britain for a place on the podium!
6:55 AM Women's Hockey - Great Britain on the other hand have a victory against India from the Pool fixtures.
However, they're heavily wounded after a 5-1 drubbing against Netherlands in the semi-final. Indian female players must take pointers from that match and use similar tactics in the bronze medal match. We're 5 minutes away from the start!
6:52 AM Women's Golf - A birdie in the 3rd shot for Aditi. On the 188m hole, the Indian golfer turns it in style! Jumps to second, only behind USA's Nelly Korda.
6:50 AM Women's Hockey - It is worth noting that these are uncharted waters for Indian women's hockey. Their achievements are even outrageous in comparison.
The team finished last (12th) in 2016 Rio Games. They've never won an Olympic medal before. To get here in the period of four/five years is simply historic!
6:47 AM Here's something all of you MUST check out! That's dedication and self-belief for you!
6:45 AM Women's Hockey - After a 5-1 defeat against giants Netherlands, a 2-0 loss to Germany and a 3-1 defeat to Great Britain, India were on the brink of elimination. However, they made the quarterfinals by the skin of their teeth. Narrow wins against South Africa and Ireland set up a clash with Australia in the knockouts which India won, continuing their fairy tale. However, the gritty Argentina dashed their hopes of a gold in the semi-final. But, Indian women's team have a chance at securing an elusive bronze at Tokyo Olympics. Can they replicate their male counterparts?
6:43 AM Here's a take on why the medal in hockey is far more important than other medals India has won? Opinion, though. You can share yours in the comments section.
6:41 AM The lineups are out and we can barely control!
6:40 AM The previous day was overwhelming for Indians as the nation won a medal in hockey after 41 LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG Years! Ravi Dahiya also made a name for himself with a silver. Today, his good friend and another medal hopeful Bajrang Punia is set to take the mat right after the women's hockey team's game! So clearly, all I'm saying is 'GOOOO NOWHERE!'
6:38 AM Women's Golf The Round 3 has begun, and so far, Aditi Ashok, India's medal hopeful, has taken two at par shots. She continues to start the day strongly. She's expected to get better as the day progresses. Currently stands at T3 with -9. Diksha Dagar is yet to take her first shot of the day. She ended at T52 yesterday, with a score of +5 after two rounds comprising 36 holes.
6:37 AM Women's Hockey - Following the men's hockey team which secured an Olympic bronze after 41 years yesterday, can the Indian women's hockey team follow suit? The bronze medal match against Great Britain is 35 minutes away.
6:35 AM The day has begun, and Gurpreet Singh hasn't finished his walk. It's a humongous task, in the heat and humidity of Tokyo. We wish him luck for his future endeavours.
6:30 AM Gurpreet Singh is the lone Indian representative in the men's 50km race walk final on day 15 of the Tokyo Olympics. Aditi Ashok is one of the finest female golfers that the country has ever produced. Ashok has lived up to her reputation so far in Tokyo, with a fantastic start in the opening rounds.
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.
All eyes on Bajrang Punia
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 on day 15. Another Indian wrestler in action will be Seema Bisla. She will participate in the women's freestyle 50kg category.
After that, the duo of Priyanka Goswami and Bhawna Jat will represent India in the women's 20km race walk event. The day's final event will be the men's 4x400m relay race. There will be two heats in the relay. India is in Heat 2. The group also contains Jamaica, Japan, Colombia, France, Belgium, Poland and South Africa. The Indian team will consist of national record holder Muhammed Anas, Arokia Rajiv, Amoj Jacob and Noah Nirmal Tom.
6:30 AM Hello and welcome to Khel Now’s live updates of Tokyo Olympics Day 15.
Tokyo Olympics Day 15 will witness several high-profile Indian athletes in action. The Indian women’s hockey team lost their semi-final match against Argentina. They will now have the opportunity to clinch a historic bronze medal against Great Britain. Elsewhere, the highly-anticipated entrance of Bajrang Punia will also take place at the Tokyo Olympics.
On Friday, several Indian athletes will be seen at Tokyo 2020. The Indian women’s hockey team, Bajrang Punia, Seema Bisla, Aditi Ashok and many others will be seen in action in their respective events.
Tokyo Olympics Day 15 Full Schedule
Athletics: Men’s 50km Race Walk Final
Golf: Women’s Individual Stroke Play Round 3
Hockey Women’s: Bronze Medal Match – India Vs Great Britain
Men’s Wrestling: Freestyle 65kg 1/8 Finals
Women’s Wrestling: 50kg Freestyle 1/8 Finals
Athletics: Women’s 20km Race Walk Final
Athletics: Men’s 4x400m Relay Round 1 – Heat 2
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