India might just open its medal tally at Rio Olympics on Saturday, on the eve of Independence Day. On day nine, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna will be competing for the bronze medal against the Czech Republic pair of Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka, having lost in the semi-final to Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram of the US.
Gymnast Dipa Karmakar has become the toast of the nation after reaching the vault final. She will be competing in the final on Sunday against a very tough field.
Golf - 4th Round: 3.30 pm IST
Indians Shiv Chawrasia and Anirban Lahiri have endured cumulative misery during the first three days, though the former had a much improved outing on day three. The only challenge is to turn in their best personal performances.
Women's Marathon: 6.00 pm IST
Kavita Raut and OP Jaisha are competing in the event, which is dominated by Kenya and Ethiopia. Powerhouses Mare Dibaba, Trifi Tsegaye and Tigist Tufa are tipped as probable winners.
Men's Badminton Singles – Group match: 7.10 IST (Delayed)
K Srikanth faces Henri Hurskainen in his second match of the group and it is a virtual knockout encounter: Only the winner will progress to the round of 16. Both Srikanth and Hurskainen come into this game on the back of a win. Don't be surprised if it's a three-setter.
Women's Badminton Singles – Group matches: 5.25 pm IST and 7.45 pm IST (Delayed)
Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu both posted wins in their opening games, though Nehwal didn't enjoy the smoothest of rides. Still, she is expected to get past Ukrainian Marija Ulitina, whom she plays at 5.25 PM IST, and enter the Round of 16. It is Sindhu who has the tougher match, at 7.45 PM IST, against Canadian Michelle Li. However, the Indian should see this one through and move into the Round of 16 too.
Men's Hockey – Quarter-final: 9.00 pm IST
India take on Belgium in their first match of the knock-out stage. Don't be fooled by Belgium's loss against New Zealand in their last group encounter. They had already qualified for the quarter-finals at that stage, having won all their previous games. Apart from their historic win against Argentina, India have been largely out-thought if not outplayed. They even failed to find a win against the Group B whipping boys, Canada.
A loss for Belgium will be a major upset. John-John Dohmen and his team have been ruthless, even whipping 12 past Brazil in a group match. They displayed great defensive prowess against Australia, and outclassed Spain too.
India have plenty of problems at the back. It has been skipper PR Sreejesh who has bailed the side out of trouble in all the matches so far. His role will be crucial again if India have to reach their first Olympic semi-final in 36 years.
Men's Boxing – Light welterwight (64 kg): 9.45 pm IST
In the pre-quarter final Manoj Kumar takes on the Uzbek boxer Fazliddin Gaibnazarov, who had reached the round of 16 in London 2012 too. Manoj Kumar will have a tougher bout here, but he comes into this contest full of confidence, having beaten two-time Olympic bronze medalist Evaldaus Petrauskas of Lithuania in the previous round. Kumar's footwork has been exemplary and his defence is strong.
Women's Gymnastics Vault – Final: 11:15 pm IST
Dipa Karmakar has already created history for India, becoming the first Indian to qualify for a vault final, with a score of 14.833 in the qualifiers. Elsewhere, Simone Biles has been defying the laws of physics with her displays and already has a couple of gold medals in her kitty.
The 19-year-old American is an outright favourite to add to her collection with this event. For the first time in her life, Karmakar is battling expectations. Realistically, it is highly unlikely that the 23-year-old will finish higher than sixth or seventh.