Four determined archers are out to ensure that this time India returns home from the Olympics with at least one archery medal in the kitty, something which has so far eluded the country.

Three men — Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai and Praveen Jadhav — and Deepika Kumari, the lone woman to have qualified from India for the Games, have a lot of promise. Of the four, Olympics is not new to three, Praveen being the sole rookie. So, armed with experience and being as ready as one can be, a medal or two looks well within the grasp of our archers.

Take Deepika, for instance. Ranked No. 1 in the world, Deepika clinched three gold medals in the World Cup Stage 3 in Paris in June — in singles, women’s team and the mixed pair event with husband Atanu. It’s needless to say she carries most of the country’s hopes from archery.

Of course, the fact that she slipped in both London and Rio will be at the back of her mind, but Deepika is trying to steer her mind away from all negative emotions. Being the lone female archer in the India camp in Pune, Deepika has been competing with Atanu and in fact with all 3 of the male members. “I’m trying my best to shoot better than them always. In fact, I’m winning most of the times,” Deepika said, recently.

India will be competing in four of the five disciplines - men’s team, men’s individual, women’s individual and mixed pair.

Olympian Rahul Banerjee sees a medal well within India’s grasp.

“Standard wise, there is very little to choose between all the players who qualify. On the biggest stage, some more factors, besides your skill, make a difference,” Rahul told The Telegraph.

“Topping the list is an athletes’ ability to withstand the tremendous pressure that the Olympics bring. And then comes your ability to deliver on that particular day. Then there are factors beyond your control, like the weather for instance and finally luck too plays a part.

“Atanu, No. 9 in the world now, has for the past one year been mainly focussed on developing his mental strength and when I spoke to him on Friday, the eve of the team’s departure for Tokyo, he was bubbling with confidence and totally in control,” Rahul said.

Of course, one is always wary of powerhouse Korea, who swept all the gold medals in Rio.

There was a time when archery was the domain of countries from Asia. Not so any more. Today European countries and even the US do well in archery. Reason? They all hire Korean coaches, as a result of which even the techniques have become similar.

Best Bet

Deepika Kumari

• Ranked No. 1 in the world
• Participated in London and Rio Olympics
• Won four individual World Cup gold medals
• Won recurve team and individual gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
• Overall has won nine gold, 12 silver and seven bronze medals in the World Cup

Olympic Scroll

• Archery made its Olympic debut at Paris 1900 and also featured in 1908 and 1920, but the rules were inconsistent and entirely dependent on the host country.
• The sport was reintroduced in the Olympics at Munich 1972 after a 52-year gap and has been a regular feature since then.
• Republic of Korea has been the dominant force in Olympic archery. They won all the gold medals at the last Olympics in Rio. Their women's team has never been beaten in the Olympics since the event was introduced at Seoul 1988.

Text: Madhumita Ganguly

EXPERT EYE: Dola Banerjee, Former Olympian archer and gold medal winner in 2010 Commonwealth Games

I strongly feel Deepika is in a good position to bag a medal. This being her third Olympics, from the point of view of experience, she is in a much better place than she was earlier. Moreover, the three gold medals she bagged at the World Cup Stage 3 in Paris last month must have given a tremendous boost to her self-confidence.

I am hopeful about the mixed pair event too where Deepika will be teaming up with Atanu. The two have played together, have won medals together, have a good coordination and understanding.

The men’s recurve team, too, I would say, has a fair enough chance with this being the third Olympics for Tarundeep and second for Atanu. Only Praveen is a first timer, but with two such experienced players alongside, if Praveen gives moderate support, a medal should not be too difficult a target.

As for the weather, yes, it does play a role since archery is an outdoor game and the wind factor can often swing matters. But having said that, the mark of a great athlete is to accept such external factors, adjust and carry on.

I strongly disagree with those who say the reason behind Deepika’s hat-trick in Paris was the absence of strong teams like Korea and China. Not only did Deepika bag 3 gold medals, her scores were standard. With such scores she would have given those players a run for their money, had they been there.