'Need to work more on myself': Dhiraj after conceding defeat in men's archery team quarters

Bommadevara Dhiraj. Pic/AP, PTI

After conceding defeat in the men's archery team event at the ongoing Paris Olympics, India archer Bommadevara Dhiraj said that he needs to work more on himself.

The Indian men's archery team crashed out of the Paris Olympics 2024 on Monday. The team, comprising Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav, bowed out in the quarterfinals after a 2-6 loss to Turkey.

Speaking after conceding defeat, Bommadevara thanked his teammates for believing in him. The Indian archer added that he will learn from his mistakes.

"I need to work more on myself and really, thanks to my teammates for believing in me. I will learn from these situations and try not to repeat my mistakes and get back stronger. The main thing is to focus on myself rather than other situations. The second thing is to make decisions about the wind. After making decisions today, what happened is I didn't believe in my decision. Small things count and every single arrow. I'm sure I'm coming back from it," Bommadevara was quoted by Olympics.com as saying.

The result is a setback for the Indian archery team, which had hoped to end its Olympic medal drought. The team members will now shift their focus to individual events, aiming to secure medals.

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Bommadevara, a key member of the Indian team, seemed off-colour and struggled throughout the match which handed Turkey an advantage as they sealed the match 6-2 in their favour. The final scores were 53-57, 52-55, 55-54, and 54-58. Turkey have entered the semi-final.

The individual events provide an opportunity for the archers to showcase their skills and bring a positive end to their Olympic journey.

Speaking to ANI, Bommadevara Dhiraj's father, Sravan, said that he is not worried about his son's match since he has been playing matches since his childhood.

"...I am not much tensed about my son's match as I have seen him playing matches since his childhood. I have talked to him (Bommadevara Dhiraj), and I don't think he is in any tension either. I just pray that he moves forward with everyone's blessings and makes history for the nation," Sravan said.

Earlier in the day, India's women's archery team also faced a disappointing defeat on Sunday against Netherlands in the quarterfinals of Paris Olympics. The Dutch team proved too strong for the Indian trio and won the match with a decisive 6-0 scoreline.The Indian team, consisting of Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur, and Deepika Kumari, struggled to find their rhythm throughout the match.

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