Who is Deepika Kumari? All you need to know about the Indian archer competing at Paris Olympics 2024
Indian archer Deepika Kumari is gearing up to represent India at the Paris Olympics 2024. Kumari has become a household name in Indian archery, inspiring many with her journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the world's top archers.
Deepika Kumari was born on June 13, 1994, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and hails from the village of Ratu Chatti. She is the daughter of Shiv Charan Prajapati, an auto-rickshaw driver, and Geeta, a nurse at Ranchi Medical College. From a young age, Kumari displayed an interest in archery, initially practicing by aiming at mangoes with stones due to financial constraints. Her initial training involved using bamboo bows and arrows.
In 2006, Kumari's potential was recognized when she joined the Tata Archery Academy, where she received formal training and proper equipment. Her first major achievement came in November 2009 when she won the Cadet World Championship title. Kumari's breakthrough in the senior category occurred at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, where she won two gold medals. She further cemented her status by securing a bronze medal in the team event at the 2010 Asian Games.
Kumari's excellence in archery has been supported under various schemes, including Rs. 5,29,540 under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and Rs. 36,41,627 under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC). Key government interventions have also played a crucial role in her development. This includes international training at the Archery Kim School in Korea for two weeks, amounting to Rs. 4,89,800, from May 26, 2024, to June 7, 2024, and financial assistance for equipment support amounting to Rs. 7,59,586 in 2020 and 2021.
Deepika Kumari's recent performances ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024
Deepika Kumari is preparing for her fourth appearance at the Olympics. She made her Olympic debut at London 2012 and subsequently competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Despite entering the 2012 and 2020 Olympics as the world number one, she has yet to secure an Olympic medal.
Deepika Kumari recently made a significant return to competitive archery in November 2023 after a two-year hiatus. During this period, she gave birth to a daughter with fellow archer and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Atanu Das. The 30-year-old’s comeback has been marked by strong performances, including clinching a silver medal at the Archery World Cup Stage-1 final in Shanghai. She is currently the highest-ranked Indian archer, sitting at the 12th spot in the World Archery rankings.
Her performance this season has been commendable, with an average score of 9.20, higher than her career average of 9.10. While her best score this season is 677, it is slightly below her career best of 686, achieved in 2016.
She now aims to break the elusive medal drought of Indian archers at the Olympics and secure a podium finish in Paris.