Paris Olympics 2024 Archery: India's men's archery team bows out in the quarterfinals
In a rather one-sided quarterfinal match at the Paris Olympics 2024, India’s men's archery team, comprising Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Pravin Jadhav, went down to Turkey 2-6.
The match began on a challenging note for India as Dhiraj Bommadevara opened with a 7, ruining the otherwise good start with Rai’s 9 and Pravin Jadhav's 10. Turkey responded with two 10s and a 9, immediately putting India under pressure. Despite Dhiraj finishing strong with a 10 in his second shot, India's total of 53 fell short of Turkey’s 57, giving Turkey an early lead.
India’s struggles continued in the second set. Tarundeep Rai’s opening 8, which was one of the three that were shot in the set, highlighted India’s inconsistency. India managed only 52 points. Turkey, consistent with three 9s and two 10s, comfortably won the set 55-52.
The Indian team was also seen struggling to adjust to the conditions. On the other hand, the Turkish team featuring Mete Gazoz, Berkim Tumer, and Abdullah Yildirmis had a much better hold of things. Turkey had beaten Colombia earlier in the day and had a chance to understand the outdoor conditions.
India showed signs of recovery in the third set. Tarundeep Rai started better with a 9, and Dhiraj Bommadevara added another 10 to take their score up to 27 after the first three shots. Turkey responded with 29, but a mistake from Berkim Tumer, who shot a 7 in his last arrow, allowed India to narrowly win 55-54 and take things to the fourth set.
In the decisive fourth set, India began with a solid 28 from their first three shots but was matched by Turkey. Despite Pravin Jadhav’s back-to-back 10s, Dhiraj Bommadevara’s final shot of 7 left India in trouble. Turkey capitalized on this mistake, consistently scoring 9s and 10s to seal the set and match with a 58-54 victory.
With this defeat, both the men’s and women’s teams from India ended their campaign with early exits in the quarterfinals. However, the Indian archers will remain in contention in the individual and mixed-team events.
When will India’s archers be in action next at the Paris Olympics 2024?
India’s Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur, and Dhiraj Bommadevara, who delivered impressive performances in the ranking rounds, will be in action on July 30. Bhakat will face Poland’s Wioleta Myszor at 5:14 PM IST, while Bommadevara and Kaur will take on Adam Li and Syfia Nurafifah Kamal, respectively.
Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai will compete in their 1/32 elimination round match on July 31, while Pravin Jadhav will compete on August 1. The mixed team will be in action on August 2.