Atanu Das on playing alongside wife Deepika Kumari: Awesome feeling

Atanu Das says its great to play mixed event alongside wife Deepika; womens recurve team tops qualification as Indians enter quarter-finals in three events

Indian recurve archers had a blazing start on their return to the World Cup after nearly two years as the women’s team topped the qualifications with Ankita Bhakat and Deepika Kumari’s super show in the opening stage here.

Atanu Das grabbed the second spot behind World No. 1 Brady Elison to propel the men’s team to a third place finish, as India have qualified straight to quarter-finals in the men’s and women’s team event besides mixed section where Das and Deepika will be in action together for the first time after their marriage last year.

Ankita Bhakat during the Archery World Cup in Guatemala City yesterday. Pics/Twitter

“Mixed team, you know, I like very much. If I get to play with Deepika then it’s awesome. We’re a couple you know and then we’d be the first couple to play in the Olympics. So it’s fun,” said Das, who last won a mixed pair bronze with Deepika at the Asian Championships. 

Das and Deepika, who have won many international medals together in the past, will take on France in the mixed team quarter-finals, while the top-seed women’s team will face hosts Guatemala in the last-eight. The men’s team, on the other hand, will take on the winners of Spain and Guatemala in their last eight clash.

Atanu Das

India were playing in the World Cup circuit for the first time after their appearance in the Stage 4 in Berlin in July 2019 and the Asian Championship in Bangkok in November 2019 was their last international appearance, albeit under the aegis of ‘World Archery’ after the national federation was suspended.

“It’s been a while since we played any International tournaments because of COVID-19... So it’s a very good tournament, very good weather,” said Das.

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