Saina, Jai Bhagwan, Vijender add lustre to India’s campaign

AFP/London

India’s star shuttler Saina Nehwal eased out her opening match rival and boxer Jai Bhagwan joined his more illustrious team mate Vijender Singh in the round of 16 to raise India’s hopes on a rain-truncated day at the London Olympic Games here yesterday.Rower Swaran Singh Virk brought more happy tidings as he entered the men’s single sculls quarter-finals, but the story of success ended there as archers continued to be off target, shooters misfired and the lone surviving paddler crashed out of reckoning.Similar was the fate of Somdev Devvarman who was ousted in the opening round of men’s singles in tennis.Saina, rated one of India’s best bets for an Olympic medal, outclassed Switzerland’s Sabrina Jaquet in straight games at a women’s singles group match. The World No.5, a quarter-finalist at the Beijing Games, won 21-9, 21-4 in 24 minutes at the Wembley Arena.In men’s boxing, Jai Bhagwan pulverised Seychelles’ Andrique Allisop 18-8 in the opening round of the 60 kg category.It was an inspiring performance by Jai Bhagwan after his childhood buddy Vijender, a bronze medallist at Beijing, moved into the prequarters late Saturday night by prevailing over Kazakhstan’s Danabek Suzhanov 14-10 in a clinical display in the first round of the 75 kg division.In rowing, Swarn Singh entered the men’s single sculls quarterfinals of the rowing competition after clocking the fastest time in the repechage clocking 7:00.49. The Indian was 3.42 seconds faster than the second-placed Korean Dongyong Kim, who also made it to the last eight.Rowers Sandeep Kumar and Manjeet Singh also kept their hopes alive for a place in the knock-out round in men’s lightweight double sculls. The duo finished fourth in the first heat with a timing of 6:56.60 at at the Eton Dorney but qualified for Tuesday’s repechage.On the flip side, it was the end of road for the highly rated women’s archery team, ranked World No.2.The women’s trio of Deepika Kumari, Chekrovolu Swuro and Laishram Bombayala Devi lost to Denmark by a slender one-point margin in the elimination round at the iconic Lord’s cricket ground. The Indians faltered in crunch moments to go down 210-211 to Denmark’s Carina Christiansen, Maja Jager and Louise Laursen on a chilly and windy day. The loss capped the country’s dismal show in the team events after the men lost to Japan in another eliminator Saturday.India will now hope for a medal from the individual event today with the bulk of the expectations on Deepika, ranked world No.1.