NEW DELHI: Debutant Ankita Bhakat outshone her more experienced compatriots, including Deepika Kumar, to secure the 11th position in the women's individual recurve qualifications for the Paris Olympics.
The 26-year-old archer's impressive performance also contributed to India's fourth-place finish in the team event, ensuring a direct entry into the quarterfinals.
Bhajan Kaur and Deepika Kumari, the other two Indian archers, finished 22nd and 23rd, respectively, with scores of 659 and 658 points. Ankita, however, led the Indian contingent with a commendable 666 points.
In the team standings, India accumulated a total of 1983 points, securing the fourth spot behind South Korea, China, and Mexico.
South Korea dominated the competition with 2046 points, while China and Mexico claimed the second and third positions, respectively.
The top four teams in the standings earn a direct berth in the quarterfinals, while those ranked between 5th and 12th must compete in the Round of 16 matches.
India is set to take on the victor of the match between France and Netherlands in the quarterfinal round.
Should they triumph in the quarters, India may find themselves pitted against the formidable Korean team in the semifinals.
The Korean women's team has been a dominant force in the Olympics, having secured a medal for the ninth consecutive time in Tokyo, just three years prior.
Korea's Lim Sihyeon achieved a remarkable feat in the individual section by setting a new world record with an impressive score of 694 points, securing the top position in the standings.
Following closely behind was her fellow Korean competitor, Suhyeon Nam, who delivered an outstanding performance, accumulating a total of 688 points to claim the second place.
Rounding out the top three was China's Yang Xiaolei, who showcased her skills and talent by scoring 673 points, earning her a well-deserved third-place finish in the highly competitive event.
Ankita, a native of Bengal and a representative of Tata Academy, emerged as the unexpected standout performer from the Indian contingent during the qualification round, while veteran archer Deepika, a four-time Olympian, struggled and delivered her poorest qualifying performance in her Olympic career.
As a result of her subpar showing, Deepika will not be participating in the mixed team event for the first time, as Ankita secured the top spot among the Indian archers.
In the mixed team finals, Ankita will be paired with the highest-ranking Indian male archer from the qualification round.
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