Mary Kom, Manika, Sindhu shine on Olympics Day 2

Tokyo, Jul 25 (PTI): The shooters came undone once again and the hockey team took a hammering but badminton ace P V Sindhu, boxing great M C Mary Kom and table tennis star Manika Batra went about their jobs with trademark resolve to keep India’s Olympic campaign on track despite a medal-less second day at the Games here on Sunday.
A day after Mirabai Chanu sent Indian spirits soaring with her weightlifting silver, it was huge disappointment at the Asaka shooting range where the young Indian marksmen and women failed to make a single final.
The 26-year-old Sindhu, seeded sixth, beat the 58th ranked Ksenia Polikarpova 21-7 21-10 with consummate ease to start her quest for a second Olympic medal in style.
Batra, on the other hand, had to toil hard to upstage world number 32 Margaryta Pesotska and she did that with finesse to make the women’s singles third round.
The world number 62 from India made a remarkable comeback after losing the first two games to prevail 4-11, 4-11, 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7 in a match that lasted 57 minutes.
In the boxing ring, six-time world champion Mary Kom (51kg) powered into the pre-quarterfinals after a superb tactical victory over Dominican Republic’s Miguelina Hernandez Garcia.
The 38-year-old Mary Kom, who is a 2012 Olympic bronze-medallist, prevailed 4-1 against a rival who is 15 years her junior to start her pursuit of a second medal.
But it was a deflating day overall with tennis veteran Sania Mirza, partnering Ankita Raina, bowing out from the women’s doubles contention after actually dominating for a good part of their match against Ukrainian twin sisters Nadiia and Liudmyla Kichenok.
But nothing beat the heartbreak at the shooting range where 19-year-old Manu Bhaker, appearing in her maiden Games, finished 12th after losing nearly 20 minutes during the qualifications when the cocking lever in her pistol broke down.