India’s women’s archery team is off to a great start in their Paris Olympics campaign, securing a place in the quarterfinals. Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhagat, and Bhajan Kaur collectively scored 1,983 points, finishing fourth.
The highlight of India's women's archery team's performance was Ankita Bhakat's remarkable debut, as she finished an impressive 11th in the individual ranking round.
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Ankita Bhagat delivered the best performance for India, scoring a total of 666 out of a possible 720 points with 72 shots. On the other hand, Deepika Kumari (23rd position) and Bhajan Kaur (22nd position) remained outside the top 20.
Ankita Bhakat, making her Olympic debut, stole the show. In contrast, 18-year-old Bhajan Kaur had a less impressive performance, scoring 659 points, while Deepika Kumari was just one point behind her, finishing the ranking round with 658 points.
The Indian women's archery team ranked 4th after the ranking round. The top 4 teams receive a direct entry into the quarterfinals, and by ranking 4th, India qualifies for the quarterfinals. Korea, China, and Mexico ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively.
India women's archery team will next face the winner of France vs. Netherlands match in the quarterfinals of the Women's Team event on July 28. Medals will be decided on the same day. If India manages to advance past the quarterfinals, they will face powerhouse South Korea in the semifinals.
For the unversed, South Korea are nine-time defending Olympic Champions in the Women's Team event. Today, they set a new Olympic record with 2046 points.
What does the ranking round determines? How individual rankings in team events help?
The ranking round determines the seeding for archers in the subsequent head-to-head matches of the individual competitions. This round is crucial for establishing the order in which archers will compete in the individual events.
The objective of the ranking round was to create a bracket of 128 athletes in archery, who will now compete individually in the singles event based on their rankings.