Deepika Kumari overcomes disappointment to make mixed team final with Atanu

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prior to the Paris Olympic qualifiers, all the talk centered around Team India picking up one of the three women’s team quota places on offer. Despite the lack of tournaments, the World Cup Stage I display had shown that India’s archers meant business. But it was not meant to be as the team ultimately faltered in the opening round.

It was a testing period for the three archers — Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Komalika Bari. But former World No 1 Deepika did not wait too long to silence her doubters. Just four days later, the 27-year-old smashed the competition en route to reaching a mixed team final along with husband Atanu Das. She has also reached the last four in the individual section and both the final and semifinal are scheduled for Sunday.

“It was a taxing period after we lost especially because so many had thought we would bring the team quota home. But I have seen quite a few ups and downs in my career and I knew the World Cup is going to be the last competitive outing prior to Tokyo. I refocused myself and promised myself that I would be giving my best here. For me representing the country is an honour and with the Olympics just around the corner, there is very little time to dwell on past mistakes. The goal now is to keep improving and not let anything distract me,” the current World No 3 told this daily from Paris.

Deepika has already qualified for the Olympics and the mixed team event is considered by most as India’s best chance at a historic Olympic medal. And the duo played true to form to make their first final together where they will face the Netherlands. The duo was ranked fifth in the qualification round and got a first round bye.

They went on to blank Great Britain, before thrashing USA by an identical margin. The semifinal contest was far from smooth as the Spanish pair of Daniel Castro and Ines De Velasco put the pressure early on with three perfect 10s to take the first set. But the Indian pair levelled proceedings in the second before sealing the issue in the fourth with some fine shooting which included three perfect 10s and one 9.

Incidentally, this will be their first mixed pair final together. “This was one of our best displays together. And coming just prior to the Olympics is a great sign. We are desperate for gold here and this will be a major shot in the arm. We are very comfortable with each other and communication is our strong suit and that helped a lot,” was Deepika’s explanation for the strong showing on Thursday. The eight-time world champion Deepika has five silver and three bronze medals in the mixed pair event but she is yet to win a gold medal.