New Delhi, June 14 (Agency) Excitement is building as the Indian archery team, led by the remarkable three-time Olympian Deepika Kumari, prepares to compete in the Final World Quota Tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The event kicks off this Friday in Antalya, Turkiye. This crucial tournament offers coveted Olympic spots: four team quotas for women, three for men, and two individual quotas per gender. However, each country can secure only one team or one individual quota at this event.Over 300 of the world’s finest recurve archers from 84 countries will be battling it out in Turkiye. Nations that win team quotas will also earn three individual spots each for the Paris 2024 Olympics. For fans, the excitement doesn’t stop there—matches will be live-streamed for all to watch.To qualify, nations must either secure a team quota (three archers) or an individual quota (one archer) per gender. For the women’s team event, semifinalists will earn a place in the Olympics, while in the men’s event, the top three teams will secure their spots.For those who miss out on team quotas, there’s still hope through the individual events. The Indian men’s archery team, ranked second in the world, features Olympians Pravin Jadhav, Tarundeep Rai, and Dhiraj Bommadevara. This powerhouse trio recently stunned reigning Olympic champions South Korea to clinch gold at the Shanghai World Cup.
On the women’s side, the Indian team ranks eighth and includes the formidable Deepika Kumari, alongside Bhajan Kaur and Ankita Bhakat. Deepika has had an impressive season, bagging a silver medal at the Shanghai World Cup and a gold at the Asia Cup in February. India has another route to qualification: world rankings. If they don’t secure quotas in Antalya, the top two teams per gender in the world rankings as of June 24—who haven’t already qualified—will book their tickets to Paris. In total, 128 archers (64 men and 64 women) will compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics, including spots for the host country and Universality places. The qualification period wraps up on June 24. Notably, Dhiraj Bommadevara had already secured India’s first archery quota through the Asian Continental Qualifier in Bangkok last year. If India secures a team quota in the final qualifiers or through rankings, this individual quota will return to the pool, potentially increasing India’s representation at the Games. The stage is set, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. As the world watches, the Indian archery team is ready to make its mark on the road to Paris 2024.