Harmanpreet hat-trick, boxing wins, highlight India’s day seven campaign at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

New Delhi, Thursday, Aug 04, 2022: Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick, as India trounced Wales 4-1 in their last men’s hockey Pool B game, as action continued on day seven of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG). India thus looks set to top the table and avoid favourites Australia in the semi-finals, provided England do not win by 15 goal margin against Canada in their final pool game later in the day. The other highlight of the day for India so far has been three pugilists making it through to the semi-finals, thereby making it a total of six boxers who are now assured of medals.

India are still in seventh place with five gold, six silver and seven bronze medals.

Fluent hockey win

After being held goalless in the first quarter, Harman struck two penalty corners home in the second to put India ahead and then, converted a stroke in the third to complete his hat-trick. Gurjant got the fourth in the final quarter after Gareth Furlong had pulled one back for Wales through a smartly taken penalty corner. India thus finished the pool engagements with three wins and a draw.

Boxing assured of six medals

Amit Panghal in the men’s 48kg-51kg (Flyweight) class, began India’s fine run in Boxing on the day with a unanimous 5-0 decision on points over Scotsman Lennon Mulligan. Then Jasmine in the women’s 57kg-60kg (Lightweight) category, also reached the semis with a 4-1 result against Troy Garton of New Zealand. Sagar in 92kg+ (Super Heavyweight) class then brought about India’s third win on the day beating Keddy Evans Agnes of Seychelles 5-0 on points to reach his semis.

With this India now have six pugilists in the semis in Boxing.

Badminton: Sindhu, Srikanth win

In Badminton, India did not have a perfect day but still picked up two wins with P.V. Sindhu beating Maldives’ Fathimath Abdul Razzak 21-4, 21-11 in a Round of 32 women’s singles match. Kidambi Srikanth was also in action on the first day of the individual competition and won his Round of 32 match 21-9, 21-9 against Uganda’s Daniel Wanagaliya.

There was heartbreak in the mixed doubles however with Ashwini Ponappa and B. Sumeeth Reddy, losing to England’s Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh, 21-18, 21-16 in their Round of 32 match.

Mixed fortunes in Squash

India had mixed fortunes in the Squash doubles matches as well with wins coming through Sunayna Kuruvilla/Anahat Singh in the women’s doubles when they bt Yeheni Kuruppu/Sinaly Chanithma of Sri Lanka 11-9, 11-4 in a Round of 32 encounter while Velavan Senthilkumar, paired up with Abhay Singh in the men’s doubles, to get the better of Luca Reich/Joe Chapman of the British Virgin Islands 11-3, 11-1 to move to round of 16.

In the mixed doubles while No.1 seed Dipika Pallikal/Saurav Ghosal beat Emily Whitlock/Peter Creed of Wales 11-8, 11-4 in their first game, the experienced Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu/Joshana Chinappa went down to Australia’s Donna Lobban/Cameron Pilley in two straight games, 8-11 and 9-11.

Sathyan, Manika stamp class in Table Tennis mixed doubles

Sathyan Gnansekaran and Manika Batra, favourites to win the mixed double competition produced a masterclass against a hapless Seychelles pairing of Mick Crea/Laura Sinon, to win 11-1, 11-3, 11-1. India’s second mixed doubles pair of Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula breezed past the Northern Ireland pairing of Owen Cathcart and Sophie Earley 11 – 7, 11 – 8, 11 – 9.

There was disappointment from the paddler’s camp however with Sanil Shetty/Reeth Tennison going down to Malaysia’s Wong Qi Shen/Tee Ai Xin in a round of 64 match. The Indians lost the first two games 6-11, 10-12 but then came back brilliantly to win the third and fourth games 13-11, 11-8 and level the tie. The Malaysian pair however clinched the final game 11-8 to put paid to India’s hopes.

Other day seven results

Hima Das won her women’s 200m heat on the Athletics track with a timing of 23.42s to qualify for the semis.

Manpreet Kaur of India, competing in the women’s Lightweight Para Powerlifting competition finished fourth with 89.6 points while Sakina Khatun finished fifth with 87.5 points.

Mridul Borgohain playing his Section D game in the Men’s Singles Sectional, went down to Ross Davis 13-21, suffering his first loss after two good wins yesterday.

Coming up later on day seven

Para Power Lifting: Paramjeet Kumar in the Men’s Lightweight final at 9.00pm

Table Tennis:

Sreeja Akula, Manika Batra, Reeth Tennison

Badminton:

Akarshi Kashyap against Mahoor Shahzad of Pakistan in women’s single round of 32 at 10.00 pm; Lakshay Sen against Vernon Smeed of St. Helen in men’s singles round of 32

Squash:

Joshana/Deepika in women’s double at 11.30pm

Athletics:

Murali Sreeshankar and Md. Anees Yahiya in the men’s Long Jump final at 00.12 am

Boxing:

Rohit Tokas in the men’s 63.5kg-67kg (Welterweight) quarters at 00.30 am

Paramjeet Kumar in the Men’s Lightweight Para Powerlifting final at 9.00pm