Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur qualified for the final medal rounds of the women's events after coming second in qualifications with three attempts of 60.29, 63.97, and 64.00. Kaur, ranked sixth in the world with personal best of 66.59m, was widely expected to be a medal contender, if she could continue her blistering form before the campaign.
On the other side, Indian boxer Amit Panghal (52kg) bowed out of the Olympics with a stunning 1-4 loss to Rio Games silver-medallist Yuberjen Martinez, beaten by the Colombian's relentless attacks and pace. The top-seeded Indian, who was making his debut in the Games, had got an opening-round bye.
Panghal was put under pressure by the sprightly Colombian in the opening round itself, but the Indian ensured that he connected better to claim the first three minutes 4-1. But Martinez's pace should have set alarm bells ringing in the Indian corner. The pan-American champion upped the ante in the second round, working relentlessly on Panghal's body with his uppercuts. Panghal got little respite from the onslaught and found it tough to respond. Martinez's persistence brought him level with the top star.
He made sure that there was no let up in the intensity in the final three minutes and Panghal ended up being on the defensive. Despite this loss, the 25-year-old Panghal remains one of best-performing Indian boxers in recent times, having secured a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, followed by an unparalleled silver medal at the world championships in 2019. The diminutive Army man is also a three-time Asian medallist, securing a medal every time he has been at the continental showpiece.
-Inputs from PTI
