Who Is Ankita Bhakat? Meet The Indian Archer Making Waves At Paris 2024

Ankita Bhakat delivered a standout performance on Thursday, propelling India to the quarterfinals of the women's recurve archery event at the Paris Olympics 2024.

The 26-year-old archer emerged as India's top performer in the ranking round, finishing 11th with 666 points. Deepika Kumari, a former World No. 1, secured the 23rd position with 658 points, while Bhajan Kaur landed at 22nd with 659 points, as reported by India Today.

India's Team Performance

India finished fourth in the ranking round with a total of 1983 points, securing one of the four direct spots in the quarterfinals alongside South Korea (2046 points), China (1996 points), and Mexico (1986 points). This strong showing avoided the need for India to participate in the preliminary rounds. Bhakat's impressive performance was a key factor in this achievement, as her contribution was crucial to India's advancement, as per media reports.

Ankita Bhakat's Recent Achievements

Ankita Bhakat made headlines last year as part of the Indian team that clinched the bronze medal in the women's team recurve event at the 2023 Asian Games. Alongside Simranjeet Kaur and Bhajan Kaur, Bhakat played a significant role in defeating Vietnam 6-2 to secure the bronze.

Last month, Bhakat secured her spot in the Paris Olympics by reaching the quarterfinals at the World Archery Olympic Qualifier 2024 in Antalya, Turkey. Despite a loss to Mobina Fallah of Iran in the final eight, Bhakat had previously triumphed over Shelley Hilton, Mikaella Moshe, and Gabrielle Monica Bidaure to reach the knockout stages, as per media reports.

Ankita Bhakat: Early Beginnings and Training

Starting her archery journey at the age of 10, Bhakat began training at the Calcutta Archery Club before joining the Archery Academy in Jamshedpur in 2014. Under the guidance of coaches Ram Awadesh, Purnima Mahato, and Dharmendra Tiwari, she has honed her skills and is now poised to continue India's quest for a medal in archery at the upcoming Olympics, as per media reports.

What's Ahead For Ankita?

As the Paris Olympics approach, Ankita Bhakat's performance has positioned her and the Indian team well for a successful campaign, and all eyes will be on her as she aims to deliver further in the quarterfinals.