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Former world number one archer Deepika Kumari failed to make it to the Indian archery team for the Asian Games 2022, which are scheduled in Hangzhou later this year in September-October, while her husband Atanu Das managed to make it to the side for the continental sporting event.
Following the national trials that concluded on Monday at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Sonipat, the team for Asian Games, Asian Championships, World Championships and four archery World Cups for this year was selected. Both Deepika and Atanu had failed to make it to the team last year, but they got an opportunity as fresh trials were held after the Asian Games were postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the games will be held from September 23 to October 8 this year. Deepika had become a mother couple of months back and had finished seventh in the first phase of trials in Kolkata last month. She could get only a ninth-place finish in the women's recurve trials at Sonipat to miss out. The World Cup gold medalist had to stay within the top eight players to make it to the final leg of the trials, a stage which decided the core team and reserves. Deepika Kumari, who became a mother a couple of months back, finished seventh in the first phase of the trials in Kolkata last month but could only manage a ninth-place finish in the women's recurve trials at Sonipat to miss out. Only the top four players from each category (men's recurve, women's recurve, men's compound and women's compound) made it to the Indian team for 2023. The archers finishing between fifth and eighth spots in trials will be the reserves, who will get an opportunity to break into the team in case of 'non-performance' by any of the core archers. Deepika will still have an opportunity to make it to the team for the Paris Olympics 2024 as the open trials are slated for January next year. Bhajan Kaur, Aditi Jaiswal, Ankita Bhakat and Simranjeet Kaur finished as the top four archers in the women's recurve category trials. Komalika Bari, a former cadet world champion, and former national champion Ridhi Phor, meanwhile, managed finishes outside the top eight. In men's recurve trials, Atanu returned to the national side for the first time since Tokyo 2020 Olympics and finished second behind Dhiraj Bommadevara. This two-time Olympian has been in a comeback mode and captured gold in the 2022 National Games in Gujarat. Veteran Olympian Tarundeep Rai and youngster Neeraj Chauhan complete the four-member men's recurve team. Meanwhile, Olympian Jayanta Talukdar finished in seventh position. In the men's compound trials, there was a major upset in which a top Indian name, Abhishek Verma, finished outside the top four. The two-time World Cup individual gold medallist finished fifth. Indian archery team for Asian Games 2022: -Men's recurve: Dhiraj Bommadevara, Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai, Neeraj Chauhan Reserves - Tushar Shelke, Mrinal Chauhan, Jayanta Talukdar, Indrachand Swami -Women's recurve: Bhajan Kaur, Aditi Jaiswal, Ankita Bhakat, Simranjeet Kaur Reserves - Madhu Vedwan, Sangeeta, Tanisha Verma, Prachi Singh -Men's compound: Prathamesh Jawkar, Rajat Chauhan, Ojas Deotale, Rishabh Yadav Reserves - Abhishek Verma, Amit, Harsh Borate, Kushal Dalal -Women's compound: Avneet Kaur, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami, Sakshi Chaudhary Reserves - Pragati, Raginee Marko, Parneet Kaur, Taniparthi Chikitha. (ANI)
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