Deepika to skip Asian Archery Grand Prix due to exams

In a blow to the country's archery prospects in the upcoming Asian Grand Prix, top ranked woman archer Deepika Kumari has decided to skip the event due to her ongoing intermediate examinations.

"Deepika will not be a part of Indian archery women's team for the Asian Grand Prix tournament scheduled to he held in Bangkok from March 9 due to her final intermediate examination commitments," Deepika's coach at Tata Archery Academy (TAA), Purnima Mahto said today.

Purnima, a former Asian gold medalist, said Deepika was in no mood to skip her examinations this time as she had done it twice in the past already.

Deepika, who topped the recently concluded Senior National Ranking Archery tournament in Hyderabad, returned from Hyderabad to appear in the examination, which will continue till March 14 at her home town Ranchi.

The chief coach of TAA, Dharmendra Tiwari, who was also a coach at the ongoing national camp in Pune, said Deepika was allowed to appear in the examination as there was no other major tournament in the near future.

Tiwari said the Grand Prix will be held from March 9 to 15.

Sources in the Archery Association here said the second of the four National Ranking Archery tournament series is likely to be held in Jamshedpur in the first week of April.