Paris: India’s Pravin Jadhav bowed out in the opening round of Men’s Individual action of the 2024 Olympic Games archery competition, losing to China’s Kao Wenchao in the Round of 64 on Thursday. Jadhav, who made the second round at Tokyo 2020, lost 6-0 (28-29, 29-30, 27-28). The Indian archer was seeded 39th, while the Chinese had finished 26th in the Ranking Stage.
Employed as a havildar with the Indian Army, the 28-year-old Jadhav from the Amravati district of Maharashtra had reached Paris as one of India’s big hopes in men’s archery after being part of the Indian team that won silver in the 2019 World Archery Championship in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Holland.
With Jadhav’s exit, the Indian challenge in Men’s Individual archery also ended. Four-time Olympian Tarundeep Rai had also bowed out in the opening round, while Dhiraj Bommadevara had won his opening round. However, he too bowed out, suffering a narrow loss in the second.
The men’s trio also failed to make it past the quarterfinals in the Team Event.
Dhiraj, partnering with Ankita Bhakat, however, has one last shot at a medal in the Mixed Team event, which starts on Friday.
Meanwhile, seasoned Deepika Kumari and Bhajan Kaur have both made it to the pre-quarterfinals of the Women’s Individual event, but Ankita crashed out in the first round.
The women’s team was also knocked out in the quarterfinals.
(IANS)
