Indian Women Hockey Team, featuring Odisha defender Deep Grace Ekka, went down fighting to Germany 0-2 in their second Pool-A match of the Tokyo Olympic Games Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo today. This was the second successive defeat for the Indian women team, which lost to three-time Olympic champions Netherlands 1-5 two days ago.

The Indian team had many chances to score, but could not find a way to get on board. India also squandered a penalty stroke in the third quarter when Gurjit Kaur failed to convert. Germany captain Nike Lorenz scored their first goal, converting a penalty corner in the 12th minute. The second goal was scored by Anne Schroder in the 35th minute. Indian women team will next meet Great Britain on July 18.

India failed to win any medal for the second successive day and continued to suffer defeats and early exits in most disciplines. However, Chadalavada Anandha Sundhararaman Bhavani Devi aka CA Bhavani Devi, provided some happiness to India as she became the first fencer of the country to compete and win a match in Olympic Games.

Bhavani Devi, who hails from Tamil Nadu and studied at KIIT University in Bhubaneswar, won her Olympic debut match 15-3 against Nadia Azizi of Tunisia in women individual sabre event. But she was eliminated in the next round, losing 7-15 to World No 3 Manon Brunet of France.
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PHOTO: Indian woman fencer CA Bhavani Devi at the Tokyo Olympics on 26 July, 2021.