Paris: India’s top compound archers Sarita and Rakesh Kumar advanced to the second round in their respective categories by registering comfortable victories against their opponents at the Paralympic Games here on Friday. Compatriot Shyam Sundar Swami suffered heartbreak as he lost his bout in a tie-break shoot-out, suffering a narrow defeat to Comsan Singpirom of Thailand.
India’s Sarita Devi has got a bye in the first round and will be competing in the next stage.
After the two archers tied at 138-138 following five rounds, Swami shot a 10 but the Thai archer shot into the inner 10 ring to clinch victory.
On the first day of Elimination Rounds, Sarita defeated Malaysia’s Nur Jannaton Abdul Jalil in the 1/16 Elimination Round of the women’s Individual Compound Open competition at the Invalides here.
Sarita, who shot five arrows in 10 or more range, defeated the Malaysian 138-124. Sarita shot 27, 28, 29, 26, 28 in the five rounds while Nur Jannaton managed 21, 26, 25, 26, 26, scoring a couple of 7s.
The 37-year-old, who also hails from Jammu and trains at the academy run by Shri Mata Vaishnav Devi Shrine Trust in Katra, will meet Paralympic record holder Eleonora Sarti of Italy for a place in the quarterfinals.
Last year, she and Rakesh Kumar became the first Para archers representing India to win a gold medal at the world championships when they claimed the compound open mixed team title in Plzen, Czechia.
On Friday, fellow archers Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Sundar Swami too advanced to the next round in the Men’s Individual Compound Open, winning their respective 1/16 elimination matches.
Rakesh defeated Drame Aliou of Senegal 136-131 in the elimination round.
(IANS)
