Deepika Kumari fails to decode Olympic puzzle, India's archery campaign ends in Paris
Paris, Aug 3: Deepika Kumari placed herself in an advantageous position against Korea's Suhyeon Nam by winning two of the first three sets but shot a horrible 7 with the second arrow of the fourth set to throw away a great opportunity as India's archery campaign folded at the Paris Olympics here Saturday.
Deepika had begun the day well with a 6-4 win over Germany's Michelle Kroppen but lost by the same margin to Nam, who had won the women's team gold on Friday.
Teenager Bhajan Kaur was eliminated earlier in the day after losing her pre-quarterfinal match to Indonesia's Diananda Choirunisa in a shoot-off.
Competing in her fourth Olympics, Deepika yet again left the big stage empty-handed. However, there was no hype around her this time, following disappointments in London, Rio and Tokyo editions.
The fourth place finish by Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara in the mixed team event was India's best performance in archery in Paris.
Leading 4-2, Deepika aced a 10 to start the fourth set but fell into the red zone with a seven after the Korean shot a 10 and a nine. Nam did not make any mistake on her final shot, making a 10 to force a decider.
In the fifth set, the Korean began with a 10 and Deepika followed with a nine. Nam managed a 9 and 10 on the following shots but Deepika got only two 9s to lose the quarterfinal 4-6.
Even in the second set, which she lost, Deepika had fluffed the second shot, managing a poor 6.
"It is disappointing. I don't know how and why I keep losing at the Olympic Games. Maybe the atmosphere gets to me. It's the weight of own expectations," Deepika said after her defeat, admitting it was her best chance to do well.
"Those were bad two shots and I feel like I have gifted her the match."
Coach Purmina Mahato explained that after taking the anchor position, the archers need to release early to stand a better chance of scoring well.
"Ideally, you should have your shot within 5-7 seconds of taking anchor position. If you hold, all kinds of thoughts start coming to your mind. She held that shot long (6 in second set) and the second time (7 in fourth set) she released it early due to pressure," said Mahato.
The coach said India needs a consistent supply of archers but does not think that it's time for Deepika to quit.
"She must continue. People do well, win medals in this sport, even when they age."
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Bhajan did well to stretch her Indonesian rival to a shoot-off but fluffed the first shot by managing an eight when she needed a 10 to secure her passage into the last eight.
"Certainly I was lacking in something, that's why I lost. I will work on that when I go back home," Bhajan said after her 1/8 elimination round match.
Asked if she felt the nerves going into the shoot-off, she said, "Wo toh poore match mein hi rehta hai (nervousness remains throughout)," she said with a chuckle.
"I was not thinking of shooting a 10, I was just focussed on following the process," she said.
"I have learnt a lot from this campaign," she added but could not explain what, and again let out a smile.
After disappointing results in other team events, the mixed team of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara was on Friday in line to win a bronze but finished fourth.
Coach Mahato said she had told the archers not to think about the results and just stay focussed on shooting.
"We told them, do not think about win or loss, just shoot. It's 90 percent mind game. You have to be mentally strong.
"Bhajan fought well but missed that last shot. We were actually assured that she will do well."
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J’khand: All 7 on board air ambulance killed in crash, bodies brought to hospital for post-mortem
Ranchi (PTI): All seven persons on board an air ambulance were killed after the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, and their bodies have been brought to a hospital for post-mortem examination, officials said on Tuesday.
The Beechcraft C90 air ambulance, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was en route to Delhi from Ranchi when it crashed on Monday evening in the Bariatu Panchayat area of Simaria, located deep inside a forest, killing all seven onboard, including two pilots.
"We have brought all the seven bodies for post-mortem at Sadar Hospital, Chatra. The crash is being investigated," an official told PTI.
ALSO READ: Air ambulance with 7 onboard to Delhi from Ranchi crashes in Jharkhand's Chatra
The aircraft took off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm and went missing around 7.30 pm. It lost contact with the air traffic control about 20 minutes after departure, he said.
Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar said inclement weather could be a possible reason behind the crash, though the exact cause would be ascertained after a detailed probe.
Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari said the state government will conduct a probe into how permission was given to the aircraft to fly during “inclement weather”. He also said proper compensation would be given to the kin of the deceased.
Terming the crash extremely unfortunate, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said unpleasant weather could be one of the reasons, which will be determined by the probe.
In a post on X, former chief minister and BJP leader Champai Soren said he was deeply saddened.
The deceased have been identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.
Meanwhile, a lingering sense of grief prevailed in Chatra district, as the near and dear ones of those killed in the crash expressed shock and disbelief.
Bajrangi Prasad, the father of deceased Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, said he had sold all his land to make his son a doctor, who was posted at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi.
"He has a seven-year-old son... He was meritorious and had completed his MBBS from Odisha’s Cuttack," Prasad, who hails from Bihar’s Aurangabad district, said.
Family members of Sanjay Kumar (41), however, blamed the “poor” health infrastructure behind the tragedy.
"Had we given proper treatment to my brother-in-law Sanjay in Ranchi, precious lives could have been saved. I lost both both Sanjay and sister Archana Devi in the incident," Kumar said.
Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G had earlier told PTI that the bodies of all seven deceased were retrieved from the crash site and shifted to Chatra hospital for post-mortem examination.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the Beechcraft C90 aircraft (VT-AJV) was operating a medical evacuation flight on the Ranchi-Delhi sector when it crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district.
“The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi,” it said, adding that there were seven people on board, including two crew members.
An Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team has been dispatched to the crash site.
According to the DGCA website, Delhi-based non-scheduled operator Redbird has six aircraft in its fleet, including the one that crashed.
Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, told PTI that the air ambulance was arranged by one of their patients.
"The patient, Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, was brought to the hospital with 65 per cent burn injuries on February 16. He was being treated in the hospital," he said.
The family members decided to take him to Delhi for better treatment, Sinha said.
"They arranged for an air ambulance on Monday. The patient left the hospital for Delhi around 4.30 pm," he said.
