India’s Paris Paralympics 2024 para-archery journey suffered another heartbreak as veteran para-archer Rakesh Kumar lost the men’s individual compound open bronze medal match on Sunday by a solitary point.In the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris, 39-year-old Rakesh was defeated by the Tokyo 2020 double gold medalist He Zihao of China by a scoreline of 146-147.The defeat was a hammer blow to Rakesh Kumar’s Paris Paralympics 2024 para-archery journey, as he had been in sublime form at the quadrennial tournament, defeating several heavyweights on his way to the bronze medal match.This was the second time Rakesh suffered a heartbreak at the Paralympic Games, as he previously lost to another Chinese para-archer, Ai Xinliang, in the Tokyo 2020 quarterfinals by a narrow margin of 143-145.How was Rakesh Kumar’s Paris Paralympics 2024 Para-Archery journey?Rakesh Kumar was one of India's brightest spots on day four of the Paris Paralympics 2024.The veteran para-archer defeated Aliou Drame of Senegal in a perfect opening-day performance to enter pre-quarters. Despite challenging weather conditions that saw a heavy downpour during the event, Rakesh managed to win his first match by 136-131.Rakesh then defeated world No. 2 Ken Swagumilang of Indonesia in the pre-quarterfinal match. In a tense game that ended with a tied score of 144-144, the Indian para-archer emerged victorious after winning the shoot-off round by 10-8. He then defeated Canada’s Kyle Tremblay in another shoot-off victory in the quarterfinal round.However, Rakesh’s luck finally ran out when he lost to China’s Ai Xinliang in the semi-final by a scoreline of 145-143. As a result of his defeat in the bronze medal playoff match, Rakesh will return from his second Paralympic Games without a medal, but the experienced para-archer can be proud of his performances against heavyweight para-athletes in Paris 2024.