Ankita Bhakat began India’s campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024 with a commendable performance, helping her team secure a direct spot in the quarterfinals of the women’s archery event. The 26-year-old finished 11th with 666 points, outshining her Indian counterparts Bhajan Kaur and Deepika Kumari, who placed 22nd and 23rd respectively with scores of 659 and 658. India concluded the team event in fourth place with a total of 1983 points, behind South Korea (2046 points), China (1996 points), and Mexico (1986 points).
Who is Ankita Bhakat?
Ankita Bhakat drew significant attention last year as part of the Indian archery team that clinched the bronze medal in the women’s team recurve event at the Asian Games 2023. Alongside teammates Simranjeet Kaur and Bhajan Kaur, Bhakat played a crucial role in securing the bronze, with the team defeating Vietnam 6-2 in the medal match.
Her journey to the Paris Olympics 2024 was marked by a notable performance at the World Archery Olympic Qualifier 2024 in Antalya, Turkey. Bhakat booked her place in the Paris Games by reaching the quarterfinals of the qualifier, where she was eventually defeated by Mobina Fallah of Iran. During the tournament, she overcame opponents such as Shelley Hilton, Mikaella Moshe, and Gabrielle Monica Bidaure to advance to the knockout stages.
Ankita began her archery career at the age of 10, training at the Calcutta Archery Club. She further developed her skills at the Archery Academy in Jamshedpur from 2014, under the guidance of coaches Ram Awadesh, Purnima Mahato, and Dharmendra Tiwari. Her dedication and growth in the sport have positioned her as a key figure in Indian archery, and she now aims to end India’s long wait for a medal in archery at the Olympics.
India Women’s Archery Team’s Further Journey at the Olympics 2024
Meanwhile, India will now face the winner of the match between France and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. If successful, they could potentially face the dominant South Korean team, which has been unbeaten in Olympic archery, securing their ninth consecutive medal in Tokyo.
In the individual qualifications, South Korea’s Lim Sihyeon set a new world record with a score of 694, while her teammate Suhyeon Nam scored 688 to finish second.