In-form couple Deepika, Atanu in search of elusive medal

Deepika Kumari bagged hat-trick of gold medals in the World Cup Stage 3 in individual, mixed team event with husband Atanu Das and the women’s team.

Indian archers have always entered the Olympics in good form and with a lot of hopes of winning medals. However, they have never lived up to their potential so far.

After Limba Ram came close to winning a bronze in Barcelona in 1992 before finishing fourth, no one has been in contention for a medal. India still awaits for the first archery medal from the Games. Star archer Deepika Kumari and her husband Atanu Das lead the Indian charge, in both individual and mixed events.

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The men’s trio of Tarundeep Rai, Atanu Das and Pravin Jadhav also will be seen in team and individual events. The Indian women’s recurve team astonishingly failed to qualify to this edition after going down to a lowerranked Colombia in the final Olympic qualifiers.

This means India will not have a women’s team for the first time since they made their debut in 2004 Games in Athens. However, Deepika is in red hot form ahead of the Games. She bagged hat-trick of gold medals in the World Cup Stage 3 in individual, mixed team event with husband Atanu Das and the women’s team.

Having represented India in 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Games, Deepika has a lot of experience on her side. The reigning world No.1 archer and multiple gold medal winner at the World Cups and Commonwealth Games had a disappointing start to her career in Olympics.

While she lost in the opening round in London owing to fever, she started her individual event brilliantly in Rio before losing in the Round of 16, after crashing out early in team event with Bombayla Devi Laishram and Laxmirani Majhi.

All hopes for the elusive medal are pinned on the mixed pair of Deepika and Atanu. Both are in good form and their on and offfield coordination can get them their first ever Olympic medal.

In the men’s individuals, Atanu, who is playing his third Olympics, can return with a medal if he performs to his potential while Tarundeep and Pravin have to play out of their skin for a favourable result. The men’s team of Tarundeep Rai, Atanu Das and Pravin Jadhav too faces a tough competition.