‘Worst ever’: Veteran archer Deepika Kumari faces heavy backlash as Indian women's archery team lose to Netherlands in Paris Olympics

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Veteran archer Deepika Kumari came under fire as the Indian women's archery team delivered a disappointing performance in the quarter-final of the Paris Olympics, losing 6-0 to the lower-ranked Netherlands.

The Indian trio, consisting of Deepika Kumari, Bhajan Kaur, and Ankita Bhakat, struggled under pressure and were blanked 51-52, 49-54, 48-53 by the Dutch team of Quinty Roeffen, Gaby Schloesser, and Laura van der Winkel.

Despite Bhajan Kaur's consistent shots of 10s and 9s, Deepika Kumari and Ankita Bhakat failed to maintain consistency. Both archers shot 7s in the first set, giving the Dutch an early advantage.

The situation worsened in the second set when Ankita and Deepika both shot 6s, allowing the Netherlands to take a 4-0 lead.

The quarter-final concluded in three sets as the Netherlands secured victory. In a critical moment, Ankita Bhakat shot a 4 in the final set, extinguishing any hopes of India advancing beyond the quarter-final. While Bhajan and Ankita were making their Olympic debuts, the experienced Deepika Kumari faced criticism for her below-par performances. Let us take a look at what the fans had to say.

“Deepika Kumari is pathetic as a player and also as a mentor. Continuously she was saying something from the back,“ one user wrote.

“Deepika Kumari is so overhyped for so many years !! No positive result at all, “ wrote another.

“Do we really don’t have anyone better than Deepika Kumari in Archery?????“ asked a fan on X.

India's quest for an Olympic medal in archery continues. The men's team, comprising Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Pravin Jadhav, will compete in their quarter-final match on Monday. All six Indian archers will also participate in the individual rounds starting on Tuesday.

Additionally, Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara will feature in the mixed-team event on Friday. The nation's hopes now rest on these upcoming events to end the Olympic archery medal drought.