India’s Deepika Kumari was back in form in the qualification round of the Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, topping the charts by scoring 672 out of 720 points, finishing five points ahead of second-ranked Peng Chia-Mao from Chinese Taipei.
After her impressive showing on Wednesday, Kumari revealed that she had worked hard on her technique ahead of the tournament. Last year, she finished a disappointing eighth in the opening leg at Shanghai.
“I know the weather conditions here and I like them. I came here prepared,” Kumari was quoted as saying by the official world archery website. “The last World Cup didn’t do so well, but I went home and worked on my technique – and now I’m confident again.”
The 22-year-old’s tame finish in the Olympics had critics pose questions on whether Kumari could translate her form to the big stage. She stated that she had worked hard on her fitness, knocking off some kilos in the process.
She said she lost around seven kilograms of weight during the winter off-season, with help from the introduction of a new trainer to the Indian archery team.
“Since the Olympics, I’ve been more focused on physical training. I’m feeling more confident in my physique, and I’ve been able to focus on more sport-specific training. I hope this translates to success in the upcoming World Cups,” she said.
The Ranchi-born archer is a four-time runners-up in the final, and she attributed getting off to a strong start as a key factor behind building momentum during the tournament. “When you have confidence, you shoot strong and cleanly and don’t worry about other things. Staying in the top ranks is important.”
Deepika-Basumatary bow out in round of 16
In the Recurve mixed team event, Kumari and Dhaniram Basumatary put up a poor show against Belarus, who won 6-0 through Hanna Marusava and Alexander Liahushev. The Belarussians were seeded 15th in the event.
Kumari and Basumatary put up a fine show in the qualifying event, though, finishing behind toppers Chinese Taipei.