Archery World Cup 2024 will begin today at Shanghai in China. The three-time Olympian Deepika Kumari will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Archery World Cup. India has sent a 16-member archery team – eight men and eight women – for the first stage of the World Cup which will be held between 23rd to 28th of this month.
Deepika Kumari, who topped India’s archery selection trials in March, will feature in the women’s recurve archery. Dhiraj Bommadevara, who has obtained India’s only archery quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Tokyo Olympians, Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav will lead India’s charge in men’s recurve. Two-time Olympian Atanu Das missed out.
India’s eight-member squad in recurve archery also doubles up as the provisional squad for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Based on the performances of the archers in the first two stages, the Indian team for the third stage of the World Cup in Antalya from June 18 to 23 will be selected. The Antalya meet will be the final qualifying event for recurve archers before the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In the non-Olympic compound archery, reigning world champion Aditi Gopichand Swami and world championships silver medallist Jyothi Surekha Vennam are in the Indian women’s team.
Multiple-time Asian Games medallist Abhishek Verma and world championships silver medallist Rajat Chauhan, Under 21 world champion Priyansh and Prathamesh Fuge complete the Indian men’s compound archery squad. The winners of the individual events will automatically qualify for the Archery World Cup Final to be held in Tlaxcala, Mexico in October.