Paris Olympics: Dismal India pinned by Turkey in archery quarterfinal

the trio of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Pravin Ramesh Jadhav, and Tarundeep Rai

On July 25, the day before the opening ceremony by the Seine river, India’s men’s archery team put on a stellar show to qualify third, and gain direct entry into the quarterfinals. They may have finished 36 points behind mighty South Korea, but their combined tally of 2013 points (out of 2160) was a full 21 points clear of Turkey in sixth place. Dhiraj Bommadevara’s individual score of 681 was five points more than that of Mete Gazoz, the defending Olympic champion.

Turkey had to battle their way past Colombia to reach the last eight on Monday morning. But perhaps having to play the match exposed them better to the conditions at Les Invalides. In any event, they comprehensively outclassed India, winning 6-2 in a contest where the Indian trio didn’t come close to matching their lofty billing.

Just before India’s archers took up their positions, South Korea had blitzed Japan 6-0, with their three stars delivering an astonishing 11 perfect-10 scores while tallying 57, 59 and 57 across the three sets. India started with an 8 and a 7 in the first set, and there were three more 8s in a dismal second set where they tallied just 52. So bad were India that Turkey needed just one 10 to take the set.

Bommadevara and Rai hit 10s in a third set that was incredibly close. The judges needed to examine the target to make sure that a Gazoz arrow was a 9 and not a 10. India took the set 55-54, and started the next well enough with two 9s and a 10 from Pravin Jadhav. Turkey’s response was two 10s and a 9. With absolutely no margin for error, Rai shot a 9 and Jadhav a perfect 10, but Bommadevara – the great hope in the individual event – saw his arrow land on the 7.

With the door wide open, Turkey barged right through, with another two 10s and a 9. The result raised further questions about the temperament of Indian archers on the biggest stage, coming as it did a day after the women were trounced 6-0 in their quarterfinal by a Netherlands team that had finished a whopping 86 points behind them in qualifying.

The individual events remain, but excuses about wind and whatever else no longer cut it in a scenario where the archers have been supported to the hilt. Both the men’s and women’s teams had the luck of the draw, with their ties against opponents far less frightening than the Koreans. That they couldn’t take advantage should lead to plenty of soul-searching.