Debutant Ankita Bhakat has made a notable impact at the Paris Olympics, emerging as the top Indian archer in the women’s individual recurve qualifications. With a score of 666 points, the 26-year-old Bhakat outperformed seasoned competitor Deepika Kumari, who scored 658 points and ranked 23rd. Bhakat’s impressive performance placed her 11th overall, while Bhajan Kaur also contributed, finishing 22nd with 559 points.
In the team event, India secured the fourth spot with a total of 1983 points. South Korea led the standings with 2046 points, followed by China in second place and Mexico in third. The top four teams advance directly to the quarterfinals, while teams ranked 5th to 12th will compete in the Round of 16. India is set to face the winner of the match between France and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. If successful, they could potentially face the formidable South Korean team in the semifinals. South Korea has been dominant in Olympic archery, winning their ninth consecutive medal in Tokyo three years ago.
In the individual qualifications, South Korea’s Lim Sihyeon set a new world record with a score of 694, while her teammate Suhyeon Nam secured the second position with 688 points. China’s Yang Xiaolei rounded out the top three with 673 points.
Bhakat, who hails from Bengal and represents Tata Academy, has emerged as a surprise standout, particularly given that Deepika Kumari, a four-time Olympian, has had one of her least successful qualification rounds. This marks the first time Kumari will miss out on the mixed team event. Bhakat is expected to partner with the top Indian male finisher in the mixed team finals. The men’s qualifiers are scheduled for the afternoon session.
