Olympics 2021: Indian archer Atanu Das laments lack of proper planning and strategy

Atanu Das bowed out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics on Saturday when he lost to Japan’s Takaharu Furukawa in the pre-quarterfinals. The Japanese archer, an Olympic silver medallist from the 2012 London edition, kept his cool to score a 9 with the last arrow of the last set to pip Atanu Das.

With Atanu Das’ exit, the Indian archers have returned empty handed from the Olympics – an all-familiar story.

An unhappy Atanu Das said there is pressure when they play in a stage like the Olympics and it was important that they enjoy playing – something that the Indians missed. Speaking to journalists at the Yumenoshima Park Archery Field after his match, Atanu Das said:

“In the Olympics, every match is different, the situation, mindset, everything is different. I don’t want to compare (his performance today vs previous matches). I tried, but it’s okay that I failed. Maybe, I was tensed a lot, it’s a game we have to deal with (pressure). Next time, I will try harder."

World No. 1 Deepika Kumari was also unhappy with her performance. In an interview with World Archery, she said:

"I'm very much upset because in the last two or three tournaments I've done well. Unfortunately, I cannot live up to my own expectations. I'm not sure what happened, but from the very first moment, I couldn't perform to my own expectations. I think that was one of the reasons for my defeat."

The last eight in the men’s event at the @Olympics is set.In the second half of the bracket, it’s Takaharu Furakawa against Li Jialun and Brady Ellison versus Mete Gazoz.#ArcheryatTokyo #archery pic.twitter.com/tuYT4KMwOX

— World Archery (@worldarchery) July 31, 2021



Atanu Das hopes to do better in the future

After a poor show at the Olympics, Atanu Das hoped to put the disappointment behind him and do better. He tweeted:

"Sorry INDIA, I couldn’t bring glory in this Olympics. But the support we get from SAI, the federation, TOPS scheme and Olympic God Quest is fantastic till now. We should keep moving forward, else nothing to say. Jai hind."

There is always a lot of brouhaha when Indian archers, especially when Deepika Kumari plays, on how effectively they handle pressure. With the advent of biometrics, it is easy for fans, coaches and everyone to see how prepared an archer is, when taking a shot. The biometrics show the heartbeat of the archer and more often than not, the Indian archers have had a higher heartbeat resulting them in feeling pressurized.

Atanu Das, the top-ranked Indian male archer, said the lack of proper planning cost the Indian archers dearly at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. He lamented:

"We need proper planning and strategy to excel at these Games. We have learnt a lot and it’s about keeping your nerves stable. Looking forward to the World Championship and World Finals now."