26 Year old Ankita Bhakat, emerged as the top-ranked Indian woman in the women’s individual recurve qualifying, with 666 points and finishing 11th at the Paris Olympics 2024. Ankita’s remarkable performance saw her outperform seasoned archers Deepika Kumari (23rd with 658 points) and Bhajan Kaur (22nd with 559 points).
Ankita’s Olympic debut was a remarkable moment, demonstrating her talent and skill. Representing Tata Academy and originating from Bengal, she left an impression by finishing ahead of four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari, who had her worst-ever qualification performance at the Games.
In the team event, India finished fourth with a total score of 1983 points, earning a straight ticket in the quarterfinals. South Korea led the rankings with 2046 points, followed by China and Mexico in second and third place, respectively. The top four teams advance directly to the quarterfinals, while teams ranked fifth through twelfth compete in the Round of 16.
India will meet the winner of the match between France and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. A victory in the quarterfinals might lead to a semifinal against archery powerhouse South Korea, who has been dominant in the Olympics, winning their eighth consecutive medal in Tokyo three years ago.
In the individual section, Korea’s Lim Sihyeon broke the world record with a score of 694 to win first place, while her colleague Suhyeon Nam finished second with 688 points.
Deepika Kumari will miss the mixed team event for the first time, since Ankita Bhakat has clinched the top spot among Indian women athletes.
Ankita Bhakat’s performance has been a highlight for India at the Paris Olympics 2024, paving the way for thrilling upcoming contests in both individual and team categories.
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