Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], July 28 : India archer Deepika Kumari's mother, Geeta Devi, is hopeful that her daughter secures a place in the semi-final of the women's archery team event and returns with a medal from the Paris Olympics.
On Sunday, Deepika, along with Ankita Bhakat and Bhajan Kaur, will compete for a spot in the final four after securing a direct qualification in the ranking round.
Geeta Devi began her day by praying and seeking blessings from God that her daughter would prevail in her fourth appearance in the Olympics and first as a mother. She performed pooja and offered prayers at her home in Ranchi.
While talking about her daughter's hardship and the expectations from her, Geeta Devi got emotional while speaking toand said, "I pray to Maa Goddess that she blesses her with a victory in her fourth Olympics. Her newborn was just a week old when she started preparing for the Olympics. I can't control my tears, it will be just the blessings of God if she wins the medal."
The former world No. 1 has returned empty-handed in the previous three Olympics. Her brother, Deepak, along with the entire nation, is hoping that her sister returns home with a medal.
"Everybody is hoping that she wins a medal at the Olympics. She has worked really hard for it," Deepak said.
In archery, six Indian archers are competing for medals. They will look to end India's hunt for their first-ever medal in the event at the Olympics.
The Indian women's archery team directly qualified for the quarter-finals of the event at the Paris Olympics by securing a fourth-place finish with 1983 points.
In the Women's Archery Ranking Round, South Korea ended at the top of the list with 2046 points, followed by China (1996) and Mexico (1986). For India, Ankita Bhakat finished in the 11th spot with 666 points, a season-best, and grabbed the 11th seed in the women's archery competition.
Along with the women's team, India's archery team, comprising Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Pravin Jadhav, directly qualified for the quarter-finals of the event at the Paris Olympics 2024 by securing a third-place finish with 2013 points.
India archery contingent:
Men: Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Pravin Jadhav
Women: Deepika Kumari, Bhajan Kaur, Ankita Bhakat.
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