Deepika Kumari will come to the Paris Olympics 2024 with loads of experience with previously having featured in the past three Olympics.
Paris will be Deepika’s fourth Olympics, following London, Rio, and Tokyo.
Deepika, along with her teammates Bhajan and Ankita, qualified for the 2024 Olympics via rankings after topping the standings among non-qualified nations in the final Olympic qualifier in Antalya.
For someone who practiced archery with bows made from bamboo, it’s nothing short of astonishing to see her reach the pinnacle of the sport. Deepika Kumari has done just that.
Let us look at how she moved up from her village Ram Chatti and overcame her father’s initial opposition to reach these heights.
From Ranchi to the International Stage
Born to Shiv Charan Prajapati, an auto-rickshaw driver in Ranchi, and Geeta Prajapati, a nurse at Ranchi Medical College, Deepika had a challenging life growing up.
Hitting the bull’s eye was destined for Deepika.
As a child, she used to pluck mangoes by throwing stones at them, sparking her love for aiming and archery.
Following her cousin Vidya Kumari, who trained at the Tata Archery Academy, ignited Deepika’s passion for the bow and arrow.
Amidst financial difficulties, Deepika began her archery lessons with bows and arrows made from bamboo.
However, her fortunes changed when she managed to join the state-run archery academy, which provided free training facilities and equipment for underprivileged athletes.
Deepika Kumari’s childhood picture
Deepika Kumari started her professional archery career in 2006 when she joined the Tata Archery Academy in Jamshedpur. It was here that she first had access to proper archery equipment and uniforms, along with a monthly stipend of Rs. 500.
Soon after, a focused and determined Deepika gave her all to the sport of archery and didn’t visit her home for three years.
At the age of 15, Deepika’s first breakthrough came when she won the cadet world championship title in November 2009.
Her Journey to World Number One
In the following year, she won two gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games: one in the women’s individual recurve event and another in the women’s recurve team event.
This achievement elevated her standing in the sport and earned her the trust of her father, who had previously harbored doubts about the viability of archery as a career path for Deepika.
Deepika Kumari achieved her first Archery World Cup gold medal in the individual recurve category in 2012 in Antalya, Turkey.
This success followed four silver medals in the World Cup in Ogden the previous year.
Her fame grew after these victories, especially when she entered the 2012 London Olympics as the world’s number-one archer.
However, her hopes were dashed when she fell ill and was eliminated in the first round.
The disappointment of London 2012 took its toll, and Deepika struggled to regain her form for months.
In 2012, Deepika was felicitated by the Government of India with the Arjuna Award, the second-highest sporting award in the country.
Deepika Kumari received the Arjuna Award from President Pranab Mukherjee in 2012, 2nd highest sports award after the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
She finally made a comeback at the 2014 Wroclaw Archery World Cup, winning a gold medal in the team event. She continued this momentum into the 2015 World Championships, where she finished as the runner-up.
In April 2016, Deepika Kumari tied the world record in the women’s recurve event right before the Rio Olympics.
Entering the Rio Olympics as favourites, the ghosts of 2012 resurfaced and Deepika was knocked out in the round of 16 after a poor show.
In 2017, a documentary film centered around Deepika Kumari’s life was unveiled to the public, titled “Ladies First.” This significant endeavor sought to elevate the status of women in athletics.
After a quiet period, Deepika Kumari rediscovered her form at the Archery World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA, in 2018, marking a shift in her mindset after working with a mental conditioning coach during her gold medal drought.
She continued her strong performance by winning bronze at the 2019 Asian Championships in both the women’s and mixed-team events.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing a global pause, Deepika returned in top form with a gold medal at the 2021 World Cup in Guatemala City, followed by three more golds at the Paris World Cup ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
With her impressive streak, Deepika Kumari entered her third consecutive Olympics in Tokyo as the world’s number-one archer.
Although she performed better than in her previous Olympics, she fell short in the quarter-finals of both the individual and mixed-team events.
Comeback after becoming a mother
In June 2020, Deepika Kumari married fellow archer Atanu Das.
Following the birth of her child, Deepika took a period of maternity leave from competitive archery before resuming her career in 2024.
The 29-year-old archer, whose last international representation for India was at the Paris Archery World Cup in June 2022 before her maternity break, achieved significant success at the Asia Cup 2024 in Baghdad, securing two gold medals.
In the women’s competition, she emerged victorious, defeating her compatriot Simranjeet Kaur. Subsequently, in collaboration with Simranjeet Kaur and Bhajan Kaur, she contributed to India’s triumph in the women’s recurve team event.
The success in the Asia Cup was followed by a silver at the Shanghai World Cup, where she lost to Lim Si-Hyeon of South Korea.
Former world no. 1 recurve archer Deepika Kumari reclaimed her India no. 1 spot after she won silver at the just-concluded #ArcheryWorldCup Stage 1 in Shanghai.
She has also been re-inducted into the TOPS core group of athletes by the sports ministry.https://t.co/rX3X5Yfsw1
— The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) April 29, 2024
Deepika further showcased her prowess by participating in the Yecheon World Cup 2024, where she finished in fourth place after narrowly missing out on the bronze medal.
Additionally, she actively participated in the final Olympic qualifiers held in Antalya and represented India at the Antalya World Cup.
Honours and recognition
- The Outstanding Performance at CWG (Female) Award at the 2010 Sahara Sports Awards ceremony.
- Arjuna Award in 2012.
- Deepika was featured by Forbes (India) as one of their ’30 under 30′.
- FICCI Sportsperson of the Year 2014 Award.
- Padma Shri in 2016.
- Young Achievers Award by Vogue in 2017.
Major Achievements
Individual Achievements
Junior Level
- Odgen 2009 World Archery Youth Championships- Gold ( U-18)
- Legnica 2011 World Archery Youth Championships- Gold ( U-21)
World Cup
- Antalya 2012 Stage 2 – Gold
- Salt Lake City 2018 – Gold
- Guatemala City 2021 Stage 1 – Gold
- Paris 2021 Stage 3 – Gold
- Tokyo World Cup Final 2012- Silver
- Paris World Cup Finals 2013 – Silver
- Mexico City World Cup Finals 2015- Silver
Other Events
- Commonwealth Games 2010, New Delhi- Gold
- Asia Cup 2024, Baghdad- Gold
- 2nd Asian Grand Prix, 2010- Gold
Team-Event
World Cups
- Shanghai 2011 Stage 4 – Gold
- Medellin 2013 Stage 3 – Gold
- Wroclaw 2013 Stage 4- Gold
- Wroclaw 2014 Stage 4 – Gold
- Guatemala City 2021 Stage 1 – Gold
- Paris 2021 Stage 3 – Gold
Mixed-Team
- Paris 2021 World Cup Stage 3 – Gold
- 18th Asian Archery Championships – Gold
- Antalya 2016 World Cup Stage 3- Silver
- Shanghai 2013 World Cup Stage 1- Silver
Going into her fourth Olympics, Deepika Kumari will look to bury the ghosts of the past and secure the elusive Olympic medal.