Archery Association of India initiates visa process for Olympic qualifiers in France

NEW DELHI: The Archery Association of India (AAI) has initiated process for procuring visa for team to compete at next month's Olympic qualification event and World Cup in Paris.

"We submitted online visa application forms on Friday to avoid last-minute rush. The national women's recurve team is aiming to win a quota place in Paris (France)," an AAI official told IANS.

The top three teams in the Olympic qualification event will earn quota places.

The Indian men's recurve team qualified for Tokyo Olympics at the 2019 World Championships in the Netherlands.

The women's team is yet to make cut for Olympics though Deepika Kumari has won an individual quota place.

"Recently the team of Deepika, Ankita Bhakat and Komalika Bari won the World Cup gold in Guatemala City. We hope they are able to repeat their performance in Paris too," said an archery team coach.

According to an AAI official, the Olympic qualification event will take place on June 18 and 19 in Paris while the Archery World Cup Stage 3 is scheduled from June 21 to 27 at the same venue.

The participants of the World Cup and Olympic qualification event will not have to undergo mandatory 10-day quarantine.

"Since women's team has to compete in the Olympic qualification event, they will leave on June 16 while those competing in the World Cup will go later," said the official.