Paris Olympics 2024 Archery: India's mixed team secure comfortable win to advance to the quarterfinals
The pre-quarterfinals of the archery mixed team event saw India’s duo of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara secure a comfortable victory against Indonesia's Choirunisa Diananda and Pangestu Arif on Friday, August 2. The match saw the Indians lead right from the beginning to win 5-1.
The match commenced with a strong start for both teams. Ankita Bhakat opened the first set with a solid 9, followed by Dhiraj Bommadevara hitting a perfect 10. The Indonesian pair matched this in their first two arrows. Bhakat and Bommadevara both fired 9s in their second round of arrows, while a slip-up from Choirunisa saw her hit an 8, Arif too only managed a 9, handing the first set to the Indians, 37-36.
The second set saw the Indonesians fight back, opening with a perfect 10 and a 9. Bhakat responded with a 9, while Bommadevara hit the center to match the Indonesians' initial score. The Indonesians continued to stay consistent with their shots, hitting another 9 and 10, bringing their total to 38. However, the Indian pair equaled the score to share the set points.
In the third set, Indonesia started with two 9s, while Ankita Bhakat fired a perfect 10 and Dhiraj Bommadevara a 9. The Indonesians followed with another 10 and 9, totaling 37 points. However, Bhakat and Bommadevara remained unfazed. Bhakat hit another perfect 10, and Bommadevara sealed the deal with a 9, bringing their total to 38 and clinching the set and match.
With this victory, the Indian pair advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the match between Spain and China.
India’s only remaining team event in archery at the Paris Olympics 2024
Apart from the mixed team, who are still in contention, India’s men’s and women’s archery teams saw their campaigns come to an early end at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In a one-sided quarterfinal match, the Indian men's archery team comprising Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Pravin Jadhav fell to Turkey with a score of 2-6.
Similarly, the Indian women’s archery team, consisting of Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur, and Deepika Kumari, were also easily defeated by the Netherlands 6-0 in their quarterfinals encounter.