In the early hours of Wednesday by Indian time, PV Sindhu let her racquet do the talking, upsetting Yihan Wang of China 22-20, 21-19 to power her way into the women's badminton semi-finals. On Thursday, men's badminton player Srikant Kidambi faces a man on the verge of attaining immortality in game. The Chinese legend Lin Dan is chasing a third straight Olympic gold medal.
The highly rated Tintu Lukka gets her campaign underway in the women's 800m race. Women wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat will also be seen in action.
Women's Golf – Round 1: 4:00 pm IST
Aditi Ashok is India's sole representative here, but not much is expected from India's prodigy. What Ashok can hope is that some of the world's top golfers may not be at their best as they recover from a gruelling season – the British Open concluded barely a week before the start of the summer games. Still, the 18-year-old will find it hard to trump leading names like Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, Lexi Thompson, and Ariya Jutanugarn.
Men's Badminton Singles – quarter-finals: 5:50 pm IST
Srikant Kidambi faces the daunting prospect of defeating World No. 3 Lin Dan of China, who is chasing his third straight Olympic gold medal, for a place in the semi-final. However, he did stun Dane Jan O Jorgensen in the Round of 16, and Lin Dan has also had a taste of a Kidambi in full flow in the past. This will only be the fourth meeting between the two, with the Chinese leading 2-1.
Women's Freestyle Wrestling 58 kg – qualifications: 6:38 pm IST
Johanna Mattsson, Sakshi Malik's Swedish opponent is tipped to end on the podium. But it should be remembered that the Indian beat world championship silver medalist Zhang Lan to get to Rio. Malik's career has been on the rise over the past couple of years, which has seen her finish with a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games, and a bronze medal in the Asian Championships. A close match is on the cards but it is Mattsson who walks in as the favourite.
Women's Freestyle Wrestling 48 kg, round of 16: 7:02 pm IST
It has been a whirlwind journey for Vinesh Phogat over the last 12 months. She was suspended for being overweight during the Olympic qualifying event, but returned in the most stunning fashion after pleading her way back into the fray. Her opponent, Emilia Vuc of Romania, won a silver medal in the European Wrestling Championships earlier in 2016. But it is a vastly improved Phogat who is expected to enjoy the upper hand in this battle.
Women's 800 m race – Heats: 7: 39 pm IST
Tintu Lukka has been hailed by former Olympians Anju Bobby George and PT Usha, who have even played up her chances to end on the podium. Running in Heat 3, the 27-year-old may gave a fighting chance. Lukka has finished a fraction under the two-minute mark before, and stands toe to toe with her nearest competitors, Selina Buchel and Sifan Hassan. A place in the semifinals is certainly within her reach. The Kerala athlete participated in London 2012 too.
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