RIO 2016: Debutants let India down with below par performances on first day

RIO DE JANERIO: In men’s section much was expected   from  medal  hope Jitu Rai but he flattered to deceive finishing  eighth in the men's 10 metre Air Pistol event. Jitu came up with a series  of poor shots for a total score of 78.7 and was the first to be eliminated from the eight-man final. However unheralded  Dattu Baban Bhokanal  surprised every body with his performance  in the men's single sculls event as he reached the quarter-finals after finishing third in his heat. In the first heat of the day, the 25-year-old from the Indian Army finished the 2000-meter race in seven minutes and 21.67 seconds at the Lagoa Stadium here. In tennis in men’s   doubles  Paes  and  Bopanna  crashed out  as they went down  4-6, 6-7 (6) to 's Lukasz Kubot and Marcin Matkowski of Poland. In the first round In women's doubles, Sania and Prarthana   waged a grim battle before   losing to Shuai Peng and Shuai Zhang of China   6-7 (6), 7-5, 5-7 in two hours and 44 minutes. In table tennis Mouma Das lost to higher-ranked Romanian, Daniela Dodean Monteiro, in the first round of the women’s singles . World No.150 Das failed to put up much of a fight against her 58th-ranked opponent losing 2-11, 7-11, 7-11, 2-11. Veteran paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal   also made his exit   as  playing   in his third Olympic Games, lost to Romanian Adrian Crisan 1-4 (8-11, 12-14, 11-9, 6-11, 8-11). Late evening weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu  put up a dismal  performance   in the women's 48kg category . Competing in Group A, Chanu lifted 82 kilograms in the snatch event, but  failed  to clear any of the three attempts  in the clean and jerk. Chanu earned her Olympic berth in the Rio 2016 Olympics ticket after breaking the national record in the Olympics trials held in Patiala