NEW DELHI: Former world number one archer Deepika Kumari, who took a hiatus from competition after becoming a mother in December 2022, demonstrated her prowess by clinching the top spot in the selection trials held in Sonipat on Sunday, setting her sights on the upcoming World Cups and the Paris Olympics.
Returning to the competitive arena after her maternity break, the three-time Olympian showcased her skill by securing two gold medals at the Baghdad Asia Cup in February.
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Her stellar performance earned her a spot in the four-member squad alongside Bhajan Kaur, Ankita Bhakat, and Komalika Bari, with Bari replacing Simranjeet Kaur.
In her comeback event after a hiatus of 20 months, the 29-year-old triumphed over Simranjeet in a closely contested four-setter to claim gold at the Baghdad leg of the Asia Cup.
India's women's archery team is yet to secure a quota for the Paris Olympics, with the third stage of the World Cup in Antalya scheduled from June 18-23 serving as the final qualifying opportunity before the Games in July-August.
In the men's recurve section, Dhiraj Bommadevara, the sole Indian archer to secure a quota for the Paris Olympics thus far, emerged as the top performer in the selection trials.
He will be joined by Tarundeep Rai, Pravin Jadhav, and Mrinal Chauhan in the men's recurve squad, with Chauhan replacing Parth Salunkhe from the Asia Cup Leg 1 squad.
"This squad is provisional (for the Olympics), and we may make one or two alterations based on their performance in the first two stages of the World Cup," national high performance director Sanjeeva Singh told PTI.
As a matter of fact, a team consists of three members for the Olympics and it remains to be seen if India can qualify as a team for the Paris Games.
The season-opening first stage of the World Cup is slated in Shanghai from April 21-28. Yecheon in South Korea will host the second stage of the World Cup from May 21-26.
Squad:
