India’s archery campaign at the Paris Olympics got off to a promising start as the country’s archers secured direct entry into the quarterfinals of both the men’s and women’s team events. Led by in-form archers Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat, India finished third and fourth respectively in the ranking round, earning favourable draws in their quest for an elusive Olympic medal in archery .

Debutants Dhiraj and Ankita stole the show in the qualifications, with Dhiraj finishing fourth in the individual round and Ankita emerging as the best-placed Indian archer at 11th in the women’s individual qualifications. The Indian mixed team, comprising Dhiraj and Ankita, finished fifth with 1347 points and will be seeded fifth in the mixed team round of 16 event.

With two wins, both Indian teams can secure Olympic medals, boosting the country’s hopes of a podium finish in archery. The Indian men’s team will face either Turkey or Colombia in the quarterfinals, while the women’s team will take on the winner of the contest between France and Netherlands.

In the individual section, Korea’s Woojin Kim and Je Deok Kim topped the standings, while India’s Tarundeep Rai finished 14th and Pravin Jadhav ended 39th. In the women’s individual qualifications, Ankita left behind seasoned campaigners like Deepika Kumari to emerge as the top-ranked Indian woman, followed by Bhajan Kaur and Deepika. India’s quarterfinal spots have set up potential showdowns with heavyweights Korea, who have been invincible in the Olympics, winning a ninth straight medal in Tokyo three years ago.