Indian recurve archery teams on the brink of Paris 2024 Olympics qualification
The Indian men’s and women’s recurve archery teams have all but secured their respective spots for the Paris 2024 Olympics despite a disappointing end to their World Cup Stage 3 campaign.
Both teams fell short of clinching a medal at the tournament, which concluded on Thursday, June 20. Nevertheless, their overall performance throughout the season has mathematically ensured them a place in the upcoming Olympics based on their world rankings.
The Indian women’s recurve team, consisting of Bhajan Kaur, Deepika Kumari, and Ankita Bhakat, advanced to the semifinals after defeating Ukraine 5-3. Despite a narrow 4-5 loss to France in the semis and a 0-6 defeat to Japan in the bronze medal match, their Olympic spot remained secure.
The men’s recurve team, comprising Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Pravin Jadhav, faced a heavy 1-5 defeat against the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
Where is the Indian recurve archery team placed in the world rankings?
While the Indian teams' performances at the World Cup Stage 3 may not have met their medal expectations, the primary goal of the Olympic qualification seems to be within reach.
According to the new qualification rule, the top two ranked countries that failed to secure their quotas from the Olympic Qualifiers are granted a place in the Olympics. India has already secured individual event quotas in both men’s and women’s categories through Dhiraj Bommadevara and Bhajan Kaur, respectively. Now, the teams are on the verge of qualifying for the team events.
The Indian women’s recurve archery team is currently ranked eighth in the world, behind South Korea, China, Germany, France, Mexico, the USA, and Chinese Taipei. With the top seven teams having already secured their quotas, the Indian team is set to qualify for the Olympics as per the new rule.
Similarly, the men’s team is ranked second, just behind South Korea, who have already qualified for the mega event. However, the Indian recurve archery team will have to wait until Monday for the official announcement by World Archery.