Indian archers secure team quotas for Paris Olympics 2024
Indian archery has taken a historic step towards the Paris Olympics 2024, securing team quota places for both the men’s and women’s categories. This exciting news comes after the recent update of the World Archery team rankings on June 24.
While India didn’t qualify through the initial rounds, their impressive performance landed them at the top spot among non-qualified nations. This stellar achievement grants them entry into the prestigious archery events at the upcoming Olympics.
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What does this mean for India’s archers? They’ll now have the opportunity to compete in all five archery medal events in the Paris Olympics 2024. This includes the men’s and women’s team events, individual competitions for both genders, and the exciting mixed category.
India won’t be alone on the archery field. Joining them in the men’s team event will be China, while Indonesia will be the second nation competing alongside India in the women’s team category. A total of 12 teams will battle it out in both the men’s and women’s team events, while the mixed competition will see 5 teams vying for gold.
This year marks a significant change in how team quotas are awarded. Previously, teams qualified through a series of tournaments. Now, for the first time, the top two ranked countries that haven’t secured a quota through the initial qualifiers are granted entry.
It's BRONZE for Dhiraj Bommadevara 🇮🇳🥉
The Indian archer defeats Mauro Nespoli for a place on the podium at the Hyundai Archery World Cup#ArcheryWorldCup #archery pic.twitter.com/MshGQs7NCM— World Archery (@worldarchery) June 23, 2024
Here’s a quick recap of the previous qualifying rounds:
- 1st Qualifier (World Archery Championships, Berlin 2023): South Korea, Turkey, and Japan (Men); Germany and Mexico (Women)
- 2nd Qualifier (Continental Qualifiers): Kazakhstan and South Korea (Asia – Men & Women); Colombia and USA (Pan-America – Men & Women); Italy (Men) and Netherlands (Women) (Europe)
- 3rd Qualifier (Antalya, Turkey, June 2024): Mexico, Chinese Taipei, Great Britain (Men); China, Malaysia, Great Britain, Chinese Taipei (Women)
With spots secured for the team events, individual archers can now focus on their own qualification paths. This is particularly exciting news for seasoned archers like Tarundeep Rai and Deepika Kumari. Rai, who debuted at the 2004 Athens Games, will be making his remarkable fourth Olympic appearance. Kumari, a former World No. 1 archer, will also be competing in her fourth Olympics, having first graced the stage at the London 2012 Games.
The Indian archery team will also see a mix of experience and fresh talent. Dhiraj Bommadevara, Ankita Bhakat, and Bhajan Kaur will be making their much-anticipated Olympic debuts, while Pravin Jadhav will be aiming to build on his experience from the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Indian archery team heading to Paris Olympics 2024:
- Men: Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Pravin Jadhav
- Women: Deepika Kumari, Bhajan Kaur, Ankita Bhakat
India’s archers have hit the bullseye when it comes to qualifying for the Paris Olympics. With a combination of experience and rising stars, the team is poised to make a strong showing on the world stage. This is a momentous occasion for Indian archery, and all eyes will be on them as they chase Olympic glory in Paris.
