When was the last time India sent a full-member Archery team to the Olympics?
India will field a full six-member archery contingent for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, which makes them eligible to participate in all five events at the quadrennial event. But when was the last time India fielded a full-member team at the Summer Games?
The last time India sent a six-member team to the Olympics was at the London Games in 2012 where they took part in all four events. Notably, the mixed team event was introduced in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
For the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, archery comprises five events - two individual competitions for men and women, two team competitions for men and women, and a mixed-team competition.
Both Indian men’s and women’s teams secured the team quotas based on the updated world rankings on June 24, Monday. It’s worth noting that team qualification guarantees participation in all events in archery at the Olympics. Regrettably, India has never won a medal in archery at the Games.
In the men's category, India and China made it to the Paris 2024 via world rankings while in the women's category, Indonesia was the second team to clinch the team quota alongside India.
The team events will have 12 sides in each section while five teams will take part in the mixed competitions.
Fourth Olympics for Deepika Kumari and Tarudeep Rai
Interestingly, the Archery Association of India (AAI) will not conduct further Olympic trials as they decided to retain the World Cup Stage 3 squad, with Tarundeep Rai and Deepika Kumari all set for their fourth Olympic Games.
While the 40-year-old Tarundeep Rai made his Games debut in Athens 2004, former World No.1 Archer Deepika Kumari made her Olympic debut in London 2012.
Dhiraj Bommadevara, Ankita Bhakat, and Bhajan Kaur will make their Olympic debuts this year. Meanwhile, it will be his second successive event after the Tokyo Games for Pravin Jadhav.
The selected Archers will now shift their base to the Army Sports Institute in Pune for a two-week camp, simulating the Olympic atmosphere.
India’s Archery squad for the Paris Olympics 2024:
Men: Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Pravin Jadhav.
Women: Deepika Kumari, Bhajan Kaur and Ankita Bhakat.
Coaches: Baek Woongki, Poornima Mahato, and Sonam Tshering Bhutia.