Tokyo Olympics 2020 Live Update: Archers Deepika and Pravin reach mixed event quarter-final

06:09 AM: (Archery)  First good news of the day! Deepika and Pravin beat Chinese Taipei 5-3 to reach the quarter-final.

06:11 AM: (Shooting) Disappointing start for shooting contingent as Elavenil (finishes 15th) is out of final qualification while Apurvi is struggling down at 30.

06:10 AM: (Archery) Brilliant comeback by India as both the archers shoot perfect 10 to tie the set 3-3.

06:09 AM: (Archery) At the end of the third set, the scores are tied at 38-38. Deepika has been the more effective of the Indian duo so far with more 10s and Xs but Pravin is catching up.

05:59 AM: Meanwhile Indian archers Deepika Kumari and Pravin Jadhav have taken the stage to compete against Chinese Taipei in the mixed team elimination round.

05:56 AM: Elavenil has shot six of her series 5 shots and except for a 9.7 shot, she has managed all her shots above 10.

05:54 AM: Apurvi has completed her fourth series as well and has moved up to 27th spot with a total score of 416.1.

05:50 AM: Elavenil has shown consistency with her shots. Take a look at all her shots so far today.

05:46 AM: Elavenil completes her fourth series (40 shots) and her total score stands at 418.5 with 20 shots left. She is currently at the 12th spot.

05:44 AM: Apurvi meanwhile has completed her third series and is currently at the 31st spot.

05:43 AM: The two Indian in the reckoning are experience Apurvi Chandela and young gun Elavenil Valarivan, who is also the current World No.1. Valarivan remains in contention and after shooting a 10.1 in the second shot of her fourth series, she dropped to 12th.

05:40 AM: To quickly update our readers, all competing shooters, in the women’s individual 10m air rifle event will get to fire 60 shots in this qualification round with the top 8 qualifying for the final. 

05:37 AM: Elavenil Valarivan moves into top 10 as she starts her fourth series with a 10.5 shot.

The Indian archers didn’t have the best of starts as they began their Tokyo Olympics campaign on Friday. In the men’s individual ranking round at the Yumenoshima Park as the Indian trio of Atanu Das, Pravin Jadhav and veteran Tarundeep Rai finished in the bottom half.

Earlier in the day, ace archer Deepika Kumari finished a creditable ninth after the women’s individual ranking round. The 27-year-old, who bagged three gold medals at the World Cup Stage 3 in Paris last month, will now face Bhutan’s Karma in the 1st round of the Women’s Individual Recurve Archery event.

Meanwhile, the Indian contingent will hope to come up with better performances on Saturday. The Indian hockey teams (Men’s and Women’s), Deepika Kumari-Pravin Jadhav duo, Vikash Krishan, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra, Mirabai Chanu and Sumit Nagal will be seen in action on Saturday.

The quadrennial showpiece officially opened on Thursday with the toned-down opening ceremony showcasing Japan’s culture. Boxer MC Mary Kom and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh led the contingent as 19 Indian athletes participated in the ceremony. India has a 228-strong delegation in Tokyo, including over 120 athletes.

“Today, the Olympic athletes are sending a resounding message of hope to our fragile world. The Opening Ceremony will highlight this Olympic message of resilience, solidarity and unity of all humankind in overcoming the pandemic,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in his speech. 

The Tokyo Olympics, delayed for a year by the pandemic, were officially declared open by Japan’s Emperor Naruhito. In the end, tennis star Naomi Osaka has lit the cauldron that sat atop a peak inspired by Mount Fuji.