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Renowned South Korean archery coach Baek Woong Ki has expressed his disappointment and frustration after being denied accreditation for the Paris Olympics. The coach, who has guided the Indian archery team for over a year, feels "humiliated and insulted" by the decision.Woong Ki, who played a pivotal role in shaping the Indian team, was not included in the list of six coaching staff submitted by the Archery Association of India (AAI) to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Instead, two Indian coaches, Sonam T Shering Bhutia and Purnima Mahato, were given accreditation to stay in the Games Village.The Korean coach, who guided South Korea to two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, believes that his exclusion from the Olympic Games archery coach is a "big mistake" by the IOA. He has expressed his desire to end his tenure as head coach of the Indian team after the Paris Olympics."I do not want to continue anymore. I just want to go back to South Korea," Woong Ki told HT from Paris. "I have been preparing with the goal of helping India win a medal for the first time at the Paris Olympics. However, I believe that appointing a foreign coach but excluding (me) from the Olympic Games archery coach is a big mistake by the IOA and a decision that does not follow the original plan and goals."Woong Ki's absence is a significant blow to the Indian archery team, which has qualified for all five events at the Olympics. The team has been training hard under Woong Ki's guidance and has shown promising results, including winning silver medals in the men's and women's team events at the Asian Games.The AAI has reached out to IOA officials to find a solution, but no resolution has been found. The IOA has cleared 68 coaches and 50 support staff for 117 athletes, but the large contingent has made it difficult to accommodate all the coaches and support staff.The Indian archery team will begin its Olympic campaign on July 2 with the ranking rounds for all five events. The team will be hoping to make history and win India's first-ever archery medal at the Olympics.

The Indian compound women's archery team continued their dominance this season, securing a hattrick of World Cup gold medals with a victory over Estonia in the third stage of the event on Saturday. The trio of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami, and Parneet Kaur, who had qualified as the top seed, defeated Estonia's Lisell Jaatma, Meeri-Marita Paas, and Maris Tetsmann, 232-229 in a one-sided final.This victory marks the third consecutive World Cup gold medal for the Indian women's compound team, having previously won the Stage 1 and Stage 2 gold medals in Shanghai and Yecheon in April and May respectively. Their consistent performance has solidified their position as one of the top teams in the world.In addition to the women's team's success, Indian male compound archer Priyansh is also in contention for a bronze medal later in the day. In the recurve section, Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara are also in the hunt for two medals, having advanced to their respective individual semifinals.The Indian archery team's impressive performance at the World Cup is a testament to their hard work and dedication. Their success is a source of pride for the nation and inspires young archers to strive for excellence.

Ankita Bhakat's impressive performance at the Final Olympic Qualifier in Paris has secured her an individual quota for the upcoming Paris Games. The ninth-seeded archer cruised to a 6-0 victory over Gabrielle Monica Bidaure of the Philippines in the pre-quarterfinals, earning India a quota in both men's and women's archery.Bhakat's journey to the quarterfinals included victories over Shelley Hilton and Mikaella Moshe of Israel. She will now face top-seed Mobina Fallah of Iran in the quarters. Bhajan, the third seed, also advanced to the pre-quarters after defeating Urantungalag Bishindee of Mongolia.While Bhakat and Bhajan continue their quest for a podium finish, India's premier archer Deepika Kumari suffered a disappointing opening round defeat to Yaylagul Ramazanova of Azerbaijan. Kumari, the former world No. 1, led 4-0 but faltered in the next two sets, allowing Ramazanova to level the match. The Azerbaijan archer then won the fifth set for a 6-4 victory.Despite the setback, India's men's and women's teams still have a chance to qualify for the Paris Games through the World Rankings. The men's team, currently ranked No. 2, and the women's team, ranked No. 8, can earn berths if they maintain their positions until the cutoff date of June 24.The top two nations from among those without team quotas will qualify for the Olympics based on their World Rankings after the third stage of the World Cup, which begins on Tuesday. India's nearest competitors in the men's rankings are China and Japan, while Indonesia, Colombia, and Italy are vying for the second spot in the women's rankings.

The Indian women's compound archery team continued their golden run, securing their third consecutive Archery World Cup gold medal at the stage two event in Antalya, Turkey. The trio of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur, and Aditi Swami dominated the Turkish team of Hazal Burun, Ayse Bera Suzer, and Begum Yuva, winning 232-226 in a lopsided final.The Indian team, ranked number one in the world, showcased their superiority from the outset, winning the first end and maintaining their lead throughout the match. They did not drop a single set, sealing the gold with a comfortable six-point margin.This victory marks a hat-trick of World Cup gold medals for Jyothi, Parneet, and Aditi, who had previously triumphed at the season-opening World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai and the stage four event in Paris last year.The Indian team's success is a testament to their consistent performance and unwavering determination. They have established themselves as a formidable force in compound archery, consistently delivering podium finishes at major international events.In addition to the women's team gold, India is also eyeing a second gold medal in the compound mixed team event. Jyothi and Priyansh will face the USA in the final later in the day, aiming to add to India's medal tally.

World-renowned archery coach Kim Hyung Tak believes that India has a strong chance of securing its first-ever Olympic medal in archery at the Paris 2024 Games. The Korean coach, who has over 40 years of experience, recently conducted a coaches' seminar at the Sports Authority of India's National Centre of Excellence in Sonepat, Haryana.Kim praised the Indian recurve team's technical training and communication between archers and coaches. He emphasized the importance of consistency in training and preparation, stating that it is crucial for achieving success at the Olympics."By keeping this consistency in training and preparation, I think it is very much possible to get a medal in Paris," Kim told SAI Media.India has already secured one Paris 2024 quota place in archery through Dhiraj Bommadevara. The Indian recurve archers are now aiming for a team quota in the final qualification tournament in Antalya, Turkey, from June 14 to 17.Kim believes that the Indian team has improved significantly, thanks to the talented archers and frequent coaching camps organized by the Sports Authority of India and Archery Association of India. He also highlighted the importance of collaboration between coaches and archers."The average level of the team has got a notch higher because of the talented men's and women's recurve team here. The frequent coaching camps by Sports Authority of India and Archery Association of India too are contributing to the cause and constant collaboration is only helping the team get that elusive medal at the Olympics," Kim said.Kim, who led the Korean women's recurve team to its first Olympic gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, also supervised a two-day national team preparation camp at Sonepat. He was impressed by the coaching program at SAI, Sonepat, which has produced consistent results in recent times."Since I've come here, I've seen more high level and detailed training provided to the archers. The training programs, which use a lot of technology, are also very well crafted. The coaches are continuously mentoring the archers on managing training schedules to training times. The psychology team is also working around the clock and good mentoring is being provided as a whole," Kim said.Kim's optimism for Indian archery is based on the presence of young archers and experienced veterans like Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai. He believes that the team's strong performances and the support of the coaching staff will help them achieve their goal of an Olympic medal in Paris.

Tarundeep Rai, India's veteran archer, has made a remarkable comeback after being excluded from the Asian Games team last year. The snub ignited a fire within him, leading him to adopt drastic lifestyle changes and intensify his training.Rai, a three-time Olympian, was devastated by his omission from the Hangzhou Asian Games despite his strong performances. "I was boiling with anger," he recalled. "I decided to give it one last shot."To regain his fitness and competitiveness, Rai embarked on a strict diet and dedicated more time to the gym. He shed 12kg in two months, determined to prove his worth.His efforts paid off when he made the cut for the Indian team for the World Cup and Olympics after a two-month trial. In Shanghai, Rai and his teammates Dhiraj Bommadevara and Pravin Jadhav created history by defeating reigning Olympic champions South Korea to win the World Cup gold.Rai attributed their success to their unwavering focus and the inclusion of a sports psychologist. "We didn't think about winning over Korea," he said. "We just went there to replicate what we have been doing at practice."The victory marked the first time an Indian men's team had defeated archery powerhouse Korea in a World Cup final. It also boosted their chances of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.Rai, who began his international career in 2003, is now in the best shape of his life. "I feel amazing right now," he said. "I've got this childlike energy that keeps me going."His journey serves as an inspiration to athletes of all ages, proving that with determination and hard work, anything is possible.

Shanghai, China - The Indian archery trio of Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara, and Pravin Jadhav have secured a medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 after reaching the men's recurve final on Thursday.The Indian team, seeded second behind reigning world and Olympic champions South Korea, displayed their dominance by defeating Italy 5-1 in the semifinals without dropping a set. They will now face the top-seeded Korean trio of Kim Woojin, Lee Woo Seok, and Kim Je Deok in the gold medal match on Sunday.The Korean trio, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, defeated Chinese Taipei's Tan Chih-Chun, Lin Zih-Siang, and Tai Yu-Hsuan in straight sets 6-0 in the other semifinal.Earlier, the Indians received a first-round bye in the season-opening tournament. They overcame a first-set deficit to beat 15th-seeded Indonesia 5-3 in their opening clash. They then showcased their prowess against seventh-seeded Spain, dropping just one point in the first set before cruising to a 5-1 victory to reach the semifinals.Meanwhile, the Indian women's team of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and Bhajan Kaur, ranked sixth in the qualifiers, had a disappointing performance. They lost a 3-1 lead to Mexico in their opening clash. After receiving a bye in the first round, the Indian women's team held a 3-1 lead in the second set. However, their scores were below par, and they lost 3-5. They hit twice in the red ring 7 in the opening set, dropped down to the sixth ring in the third set, and managed two eights in the final set.