Deepika, Atanu to represent India in recurve event at Tokyo Olympics

The trials to select the team took place in Pune.

Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das will represent India at the Tokyo Olympics in the women and men recurve event respectively as they won the final selection trial for the quadrennial extravaganza at the Army Sports Institute in Pune.

Apart from Deepika, Ankita Bhakat and Komolika Bari have made it to the final women's team. In the men's team, Pravin Jadhav and Tarundeep Rai have joined Atanu.

"The selection for the Olympic team on a points system took into consideration the scores of Trial 2 that took place in November 2020, the scores of this trial and whether the archer had won an Olympic quota," SAI said in a statement.

The men’s recurve team comprising of three archers had already won a quota after winning a silver medal at the 2019 Archery World Championships that were held in the Netherlands. By winning this quota, they were eligible for single athlete quotas in the men’s individual recurve event as well.

Pravin Jadhav topped the trial and was also in overall first place. He will be playing his first-ever Olympics. Atanu Das came second while Tarundeep Rai finished overall third across all three criteria. Tarundeep is a two-time former Olympian having represented India in 2004 and 2012 and will be playing his third Olympics in Tokyo.

Atanu Das who will be playing in his second Olympics, said, "I am very happy with the way the trial went and I am now confirmed for the Olympics. Have gone through a long process between the 2016 Olympics to now and have realised that the mental aspect of the game is very important. I am looking forward to perform at my best in both the individual and team events in Tokyo."

Deepika Kumari who has already won an Olympic quota at the 2019 Asian Archery Championships, topped the trial in the women's category. She will be participating in her third Olympics after 2012 and 2016. Ankita Bhakat came second while Komolika Bari came overall third.

The women’s recurve team is yet to win an Olympic quota and they will get an opportunity at the final team Qualification event scheduled to take place in Paris from June 18-21.

The trio of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Komolika Bari will represent India in France and if they earn the quota then they will go on to represent the nation at the quadrennial event.