Indian Archers Aim To End 36-Year Wait For Olympic Medal At Paris Olympics

Bolstered by their best-ever show in the ranking rounds, Indian archers will look to end a 36-year-long wait for an Olympic medal with yet another good show in the medal rounds that will get underway with the women's finals on Sunday. Indian archery fraternity can hope for multiple medals from the historic Les Invalides arena following Dhiraj Bommadevara (seeded fourth) and Ankita Bhakat's (11th) exploits in the qualifiers. For the first time after 12 years, India have a full six-member contingent as they vie for medals in all the five categories -- mixed team, men's and women's team, and individual events.

Having seeded straight to the quarters, the men's and women's teams need two wins to land a historic first Olympic medal in archery since their debut in the 1988 Seoul Games.

India, who have never crossed the quarterfinal hurdles in the Olympics, mostly falling to archery powerhouse South Korea, will avoid their 'nemesis' first up.

While the men's team can avoid them till the gold medal clash, the women's may head into Korea in the semifinals.

India will take on the winners of France and the Netherlands in women's team quarterfinals on Sunday.

Shooting in front of home support, France, who were ranked fifth in the qualifiers, will be the overwhelming favourites to be India's quarterfinal opponents.

All eyes would be on the trio of Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur and Deepika Kumari and how they soak in the pressure in front of a partisan crowd.

The Indian women's team seemed to be ahead of the French rivals, having shot 1983 with an average of 9.18 compared to the hosts' 1972 (at 9.13).

France's Lisa Barbelin, Amelie Cordeau and Caroline Lopez are also familiar rivals for the Indians, having defeated them 3-2 in a friendly