India’s recurve women’s team for Rio – Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi Laishram and Laxmirani Majhi – was announced back in May 2016.
A men’s trio was named, too – but their places hinged on India upgrading to a full men’s team quota at the final world qualification tournament for the Games in Antalya. Jayanta Talukdar, Mangal Singh Champia and Atanu Das lost in the quarterfinals of that event to eventual qualifiers Malaysia, in a shoot-off, and India settled for a single men’s invitation to Rio.
Jayanta, Mangal and Atanu competed against each other to take up that place. Atanu won.
“I’ve been preparing for this for a long time. It’s been 10 years archery has been my life,” said Das. “Another four years waiting for the Olympics – now I’m ready to perform.”
“I’m looking forward to some great archery. I don’t know if I will win or lose. But I do know that I will enjoy the hard work that I have put in and perform to my best.”
Atanu Das, 24, recorded his highest individual finish, fourth, at world competition at the third stage of the 2016 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey. He lost out on the podium in a tiebreaker to World Archery Champion Kim Woojin. Das has collected multiple team and mixed team medals with India since his senior debut in 2011.
