JOIN USIndian archers bowed out of the men’s team event after losing to Japan in the first round at Lord’s on Saturday.
India weren’t expected to make an impact after an insipid display in the ranking rounds on Friday. The team of Jayanta Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Tarundeep Rai did come close but lost out on a tie-breaker in the end.
The teams were tied at 214-214 after the four ends in the 24-arrow contest. In the shoot-off, the Japanese shooters tallied 29 while the Indians managed only 27.
Talukdar, who had said on Friday the archers had been weakened by fever, blamed Saturday’s loss on pressure but said he would try to do better in the individual event. “It’s a different competition. I will try to shoot with more confidence,” he said.
The Indians had their chances as they were leading by three points at one stage but the Japanese team of Takaharu Furukawa, Hideki Kikuchi and Yu Izhizu fought back to draw level and push the match into a shoot-off.
The Indian defeat looks set to have an impact on the coaching scene. Chief coach Limba Ram was absent during the event but Indian officials remained tight-lipped about it. The Indian women will be in action in the team event on Sunday, followed by individual competitions.