Paris 2024 Olympics Day 1: Best fan reactions on India's campaign on July 27
Manu Bhaker, the Indian men’s hockey team, and the duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy gave Indians plenty to cheer about on Day 1 of the Paris Olympics.
And cheer they did. Fans remained active on social media throughout the day, taking note of every little development from the French capital. More than the victories, the outpouring of support for narrow misses was more endearing.
A user on X came out in support of Sarabjot Singh after he missed out on a place in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol final by a whisker, dubbing it a case of “so near, yet so far.”
"Once again so near yet, so far tough luck Sarabjot Singh Just one point short," the user wrote on X.
Another social media user, meanwhile, rued the tight margins in a lengthier post to appreciate Singh’s solid performance on the world’s biggest stage. The user went on to express hope that the shooter would be back competing for a medal at the Olympics in four years’ time.
"Unbelievable margins! Sarabjot Singh tied with Germany's Robin Walter but missed the qualifications due to fewer smaller circle X shots. Hard work, determination, and तपस्या, now the wait continues for 4 more years," another user wrote.
Manu Bhaker, who stole the show by securing a third-place finish to qualify for the Women’s 10m Air Pistol final, drew praise from all corners. Fans both took note of her exceptional effort and cautioned against celebrating early in reference to her coming close to a big win at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
"Manu Bhaker hit the inner 10s 27 times, the most among all 44 shooters. Best wishes for the medal tomorrow," a user wrote on X.
"This time we ain't celebrating early. Promising start though from Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan," a user posted.
Tokyo throwbacks loomed large, as another user on ‘X’ took note of the Indian men’s hockey team’s 3-2 win over New Zealand — reminiscent of their first win from the Tokyo Olympics.
"Tokyo repeats. Same 3-2 win over same rival NZ. Build on India. Not will in many games you concede twice no of PCS than you earn, and then emerge winners. Enjoy the three points, and build on. Better be better precise," a user noted in their post.
Another user, meanwhile, heaped praises on captain Harmanpreet Singh, calling him the game-changer for having orchestrated India's win with his penalty stroke conversion.
"Game changer," a fan wrote while captaioning a picture of Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh.
"Terrible for my nails" - Heena Sidhu joins Indian fans in reacting to exciting Paris 2024 Olympics Day 1
And not just fans, former Olympians were just as invested in Day 1 action at the Paris Olympics. Former World No. 1 shooter Heena Sidhu led the charge.
Taking note of the exciting hockey encounter between India and New Zealand, Sidhu joked about losing her nails as things went down to the wire. The shooter went on to praise the Indian badminton stars for posting wins on the day as well.
"Indian vs. New Zealand hockey was terrible for my nails. Last 8 mins were nerve wracking. A last minute penalty strike by Harmanpreet was the highlight of the day. Lakshya Sen made it seem all too easy (even though it must have been the exact opposite) with his 42 mins victory against Cordon. And not to miss the expected winning performance by Chirag and Satvik against the French duo. All in all a great first day for India at the #Olympic2024," Heena Sidhu wrote on X.
With more action including medal rounds scheduled for Day 2 of the Paris Olympics, fans will have to look forward to.