India Falls Short in Archery at Paris Olympics

India’s Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara gave it their all at the Paris Olympics, making history by reaching the mixed team archery semi-finals for the very first time. They celebrated a hard-fought victory over Spain with a score of 5-3 in their quarter-final match, igniting hopes for a medal.

However, the journey took a turn as they faced tough opponents in the semi-finals and the bronze medal playoff. Their first challenge was against Korea‘s Lim Si-hyeon and Kim Woojin, where they suffered a 2-6 defeat. The match showed promise when India took the opening set 38-36, but the Koreans quickly regrouped and clinched the next three sets.

After that setback, Bhakat and Bommadevara had to face the American duo of Casey Kaufhold and Brady Ellison in the bronze medal match. The Americans claimed the first set, and India struggled to recover, falling behind 0-4 at one point. Although they fought back in Set 3 to win 38-34, they couldn’t sustain the momentum, losing the match 2-6.

The Korean pair ultimately went on to win gold, defeating Germany‘s Michelle Kroppen and Florian Unruh in the finals with a resounding 6-0 victory. Despite the disappointment, Bhakat and Bommadevara’s achievement of reaching the semi-finals is a significant milestone for Indian archery.

Earlier in the day, they had shown great skill against Spain’s Elia Canales and Pablo Acha Gonzalez, narrowly edging them out in a tightly contested match. With their strong performance in the quarter-finals, the duo raised the hopes of supporters back home, proving they could compete on such a grand stage.