Archery World Cup final: Atanu Das, Deepika Kumari eye glory
Yankton (US), September 29
Star India archery couple Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das would look to start afresh after their Tokyo Olympics debacle when they compete in the World Cup final starting here today.
The two-day showpiece competition will also mark the return of the duo that failed to make the cut to the senior team for the recently concluded World Championships at the same venue.
After being sidelined from the team, the duo competed on its own at SAI, Kolkata, and the two would look to make amends for their poor outing at the Games.
An Olympics medal remained eluded Indian archers despite their impressive build-up to the Games.
Competing as world No. 1, Deepika Kumari, who was the lone Indian woman archer in fray, made a quarterfinals exit with a tame loss to South Korean sensation An San.
Das was the best among the Indian men but also bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals, while they lost to South Korea in both men’s team and mixed pair sections.
With the losses still fresh in their minds, the duo would look to start afresh at the two-day showpiece.
Deepika, who has slipped to world No. 2, has four silver and a bronze from seven appearances at the World Cup final, and it remains to be seen whether she will be able to match the feat of Dola Banerjee. Dola is the only Indian to have won a gold at, in 2007. — PTI
