Olympics 2024: Archers looked strong despite psychologist's delay

The designated sports psychologist had under 48 hours with the Indian team, yet the archers transformed their initial disappointment into a memorable campaign, including a historic first-ever semifinal, and exited the Paris Olympics on Saturday with a glimmer of promise.

The mixed team of Dhiraj Bommadevara and left-handed Ankita Bhakat notched India's best-ever finish in archery at the Olympics when they made the semifinals before losing to Korea and then USA in the bronze playoff on Friday to finish fourth.

A day later, the most experienced Indian archer-- Deepika Kumari had two sets advantage and needed to clinch another to make the semifinal. But lost yet another Olympics quarterfinal to return empty-handed from her fourth appearance.

Gayatri Vartak, who was associated with the Commonwealth Games medal-winning table tennis team in Birmingham 2022, was the designated sports psychologist for the Indian archery at the Paris Olympics.

But for reasons "not known" she got her Visa on