Indian athletes had a forgettable outing on Friday at Rio, but Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna are still carrying India's medal hopes, via the mixed doubles in tennis.
Athletics Women's 400 m – Qualification: 7.30 pm IST
Nirmala Sheoran qualified for the Games after clocking an impressive 51.48 seconds in the Inter State Athletics Championships earlier in 2016. However, she isn't really expected to qualify, considering her relative inexperience and the tough competition she faces from likes of Patience George, Stephanie Ann McPherson and Annliese Rubie. The top three from each of the eight heats progress to the semi-finals.
Men's Individual Golf – Round 3: 4.00 pm IST
Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia had yet another another day to forget. The latter dropped three bogeys, and a double bogey, compared to five birdies, finishing tied at 30th with two par cards, while Lahiri finished tied at 51st, with a cumulative fiver over par, at the end of day two. Even a miracle won't suffice.
Women's Hockey – Group game, India vs Argentina: 6.30 pm IST
The initial signs were promising for the women's hockey team, who earned a fighting 2-2 draw against Japan. But their fortunes have nosedived since, with Australia and USA blanking them 6-1 and 3-0 in consecutive games.
Today, they face a must-win situation against a higher-ranked Argentina side. A win will put them in the reckoning for a quarter-final spot. For things to go right after that, Australia must. ideally, beat or draw with Japan; if Japan win, it must be a smaller margin than India's win over Argentina. Currently, India and Japan are tied on points and goal difference.
Tennis Mixed Doubles – Semi-finals: 11.30 pm IST
India stand on the cusp of winning a medal with Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna showing their class in the quarter-finals against Andy Murray and Heather Watson. Their task is expected to be slightly more daunting, for they face American pair Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram, who blanked Roberta Vinci and Fabio Fognini. A victory will assure India of a gold or a silver, while a defeat will mean a play-off for bronze.
Badminton Men's Doubles – Group Game: 4.25 am IST
BS Reddy and Manu Attri have already been eliminated. They now play against the Japanese duo of Kenichi Hayakwa and Hiroyuki Endo in an inconsequential tie.
Women's 3000m Steeplechase: 6.35 pm IST
Sudha Singh had created a national record of 9:26:55 while qualifying for the Olympics. The other competitor, Lalita Babar, is also rated highly, and both the athletes have been tipped to enter the final by yesteryear star PT Usha. Trainer Nikolai Snesarev has been working on Singh and Babar.
Women's Badminton Doubles – Group Game: 7.15 pm IST
Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa are already out of contention for the quarter-finals after losing their first two games. So are their opponents, Puttita Supajirakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand.
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