Veteran Indian archer Deepika Kumari concluded her campaign with a 6-4 loss to Korea’s Nam Suhyeon on Saturday. Despite a promising start, Kumari’s performance declined in crucial moments, leading to her elimination from the competition.
Kumari began the quarter-final strongly, winning the first set with scores of 9, 10, and 9. She managed to take an early lead over the second-ranked Korean archer. However, her performance became inconsistent in the following sets. A series of subpar shots, including a 6 and a 7 in critical stages, impacted her overall score.
The Indian archer showed resilience in the third set, securing a narrow 29-28 win with scores of 10, 9, and 10. Leading 4-2 after three sets, Kumari faltered in the fourth set, shooting a 7 under pressure, which allowed Suhyeon to equalise. In the final set, Kumari’s three nines were outmatched by Suhyeon’s 10, 9, and 10, sealing Kumari’s fate in the event.
Earlier in the day, Bhajan Kaur was also eliminated after a close shoot-off against Indonesia’s Diananda Choirunisa in the Round of 16. Despite a strong comeback to force a tie at 5-5, Kaur lost the shoot-off with an 8, while Choirunisa secured victory with a 9.
The Indian archery team returns from Paris without a medal, falling short of expectations despite high hopes for the event.