Thoda sa nervous ho gayi thi (I got a little nervous). Senior ko dar nahin lagta kya? (Can’t seniors get scared?). Yes, these were Deepika Kumari’s words a few days back, when the women’s archery team exited in the quarterfinals after a 0-6 loss to the Netherlands in Paris Olympics.
However, Deepika’s fortunes changed in the Round of 32, where she faced Quinty Roeffen. By making her opponent nervous, Roeffen missed her shots, allowing Deepika to win the match 6-2.
Strong performance in women’s singles
On Wednesday, Deepika began her singles competition in the Round of 64, defeating Estonia’s Reena Parnat. The score was tied 5-5 after five sets, but Deepika emerged victorious as her arrow was closer to the centre of the target, despite both archers scoring eight points.
Revenge Against the Netherlands
In the Round of 32, Deepika took her long-awaited revenge against the Netherlands. She won the first set 29-28, but Roeffen took the second set 27-29. In the third set, Roeffen’s shot missed the target entirely, allowing Deepika to win 25-17. Deepika then scored 28 points in three shots, while Roeffen managed only 23. Deepika sealed the match with a 6-2 victory.
When will Deepika Kumari play her next match?
Deepika will next compete against World No. 13 Michelle Kroppen in the round of 16 on August 3. Bhajan Kaur will also be in the round of 16, facing Indonesia’s Diananda Choirunisa.
