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Will it be a super Saturday for the Indians at Tokyo Olympics?

The hopes of India finishing its campaign in Tokyo Olympics on a high rest on the shoulders of 23-year-old Neeraj Chopra (Image courtesy: Twitter/@Neeraj_chopra1)

After winning hearts but not any medal to add on to their tally at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Indian athletes will get one final chance on Saturday to equal or better their best ever outing in the world's biggest sporting extravaganza – a total of six medals won at the London 2012 Games. In action on the penultimate day of the Summer Games would be golfer Aditi Ashok, wrestler Bajrang Punia and javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra.

Bajrang, who arrived in Tokyo as a big medal hope for India, lost 5-12 to Azerbaijan's Haji Aliyev in the semifinal of the men's 65kg wrestling event at the Makuhari Messe Hall on Friday. He will now take on the winner of the repechage round bout between Senegal’s Adama Diatta and Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov in a bid to win a bronze for the country on Saturday afternoon.

Bajrang Punia

The first to tee off though, quite literally, would be 23-year-old Indian golfer Aditi Ashok at the Kasumigaseki Country Club. Currently on the second spot with a three-under 68 after the third round of the women's individual stroke play competition, Aditi stands a good chance to win a silver medal if she continues with her stupendous form in Tokyo.    

With a typhoon threat hanging over Tokyo tomorrow, the golfers start early Saturday (6.30 AM Japan time, 3 AM IST). However, if the final round is not completed on Saturday, the officials will have the option of finishing 72 holes on Sunday.

Aditi Ashok Golf

In case the decisive stage of the competition is not even completed on Sunday then the medals will be awarded based on the standings at the end of third round, thus ensuring a silver for the Indian who is currently ranked 179th in the world and is participating in her second Olympic Games.  

Also Read: Golfer Aditi raises a storm at Olympics as Tokyo prepares for a typhoon

The hopes of India finishing its campaign in Tokyo Olympics on a high rest on the shoulders of another 23-year-old who is gunning for a medal after becoming the first Indian to enter the Olympic final in the javelin throw event.

Making his Olympics debut, Neeraj Chopra had topped the qualification round with a massive throw of 86.65m to cruise to the final.

Chopra has already won a gold in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast (86.47m) and also at the Asian Games in Jakarta (88.06m).

In the final, the Indian will be up against the likes of Germany's star javelin thrower Johannes Vetter – also nicknamed 'the Usain Bolt of the javelin' – who had also commented that Chopra will find it difficult to beat him in Tokyo.

However, in the qualification round held on Wednesday, it was Chopra who got the better of the German champion whose best effort was 85.64m.

Neeraj Chopra

Another monster of a throw on Saturday afternoon from Chopra could help India adding another medal before Sunday's closing ceremony.

Fans back home would be praying that it turns out to be a Super Saturday for the Indians in Tokyo with all three – Aditi Ashok, Bajrang Punia and Neeraj Chopra – joining weightlifter Mirabai Chanu (silver), shuttler P V Sindhu (bronze), boxer Lovlina Borgohain (bronze), Indian men's hockey team (bronze) and wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya (silver) in the list of medal winners at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Also Read: Two young guns from Haryana light up India's show at the Tokyo Olympic Games