Bangladesh qualifies its first-ever archer to the Olympic Games
Bangladesh’s Ruman Shana became the first archer from his country to qualify a place to the Olympic Games when he beat two-time world champion Kim Woojin in the fourth round of the 2019 Hyundai World Archery Championships in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
“I don’t know how to explain, I’m really so happy. Proud of me; so happy. My target was quarterfinal but my shooting is very well today,” said Ruman. “In my dream, I’m beating a Korean guy and I did it. So I’m so happy.”
These world championships are the primary qualification event for the archery competitions at Tokyo 2020.
Earlier in the week, Bangladesh faced top-seeded Korea in a third-round match that would award a team quota to the Games. Korea won, 6-2.
But Ruman still had a chance to qualify an individual place.
In the fourth round, he came up against Korea once again – and two-time World Archery Champion Kim Woojin. But Woojin wasn’t on point and Ruman took advantage. The world number 40 upset the world number four, 6-4.
“In competition, you win some and you lose some. You can’t do anything about it, that’s what competition is like, that’s what happens in sports,” said Kim. “If you look at my data, I’m more often in the final than out, but it is not the data that matters. It is what happens in the moment.”
The victory booked Shana a place in the quarterfinals with Khairul Anuar Mohamad of Malaysia, Mauro Nespoli of Italy and Brady Ellison of the USA. All four won individual Olympic quota places for their countries.
Only one of the four recurve women’s spots was awarded.
Seven of the eight quarterfinalists in the individual competition represented squads that already qualified full teams at this tournament. Only Moldova’s Alexandra Mirca secured a space.
“I’m very happy. I also would like my teammate Dan Olaru to take a quota in a further opportunity. I believe in him,” she said.
Maja Jager of Denmark, Alejandra Valencia of Mexico, Christine Bjerendal of Sweden and Audrey Adiceom of France will take part in a secondary tournament on Friday morning in ’s-Hertogenbosch to decide which nations receive the last three places.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic quotas
The quota places won per country for the archery competitions at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after the team and individual events at the 2019 Hyundai World Archery Championships in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. (Three places left to award in the recurve women’s secondary tournament.)
Australia: 3 (3 recurve men)
Bangladesh: 1 (1 recurve man)
Belarus: 3 (3 recurve women)
China: 6 (3 men, 3 women)
Chinese Taipei: 6 (3 recurve men, 3 recurve women)
Germany: 3 (3 women)
Great Britain: 6 (3 recurve men, 3 recurve women)
India: 3 (3 recurve men)
Italy: 1 (1 recurve man)
Kazakhstan: 3 (3 recurve men)
Korea: 6 (3 recurve men, 3 recurve women)
Malaysia: 1 (1 recurve man)
Moldova: 1 (1 recurve woman)
Netherlands: 3 (3 recurve men)
Russia: 3 (3 recurve women)
Ukraine: 3 (3 recurve women)
USA: 1 (1 recurve man)
Australia: 3 (3 recurve men)
Bangladesh: 1 (1 recurve man)
Belarus: 3 (3 recurve women)
China: 6 (3 men, 3 women)
Chinese Taipei: 6 (3 recurve men, 3 recurve women)
Germany: 3 (3 women)
Great Britain: 6 (3 recurve men, 3 recurve women)
India: 3 (3 recurve men)
Italy: 1 (1 recurve man)
Kazakhstan: 3 (3 recurve men)
Korea: 6 (3 recurve men, 3 recurve women)
Malaysia: 1 (1 recurve man)
Moldova: 1 (1 recurve woman)
Netherlands: 3 (3 recurve men)
Russia: 3 (3 recurve women)
Ukraine: 3 (3 recurve women)
USA: 1 (1 recurve man)The 2019 Hyundai World Archery Championships take place on 10-16 June in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
