World No.1 para-archer Rakesh Kumar narrowly missed the men’s individual compound open bronze medal in the ongoing Paris Paralympics after losing to China’s He Zihao 147-146 at Invalides on Sunday.
Rakesh had a perfect start in the match as he hit perfect 30 in the opening round followed by 29 and 29 in the next two rounds. He took a slender two-point lead over his Chinese opponent until the fourth round. Zihao bounced back in the final two rounds with perfect 30s while Rakesh could only manage 28 and 30 to lose the bronze by one point.
Earlier, Rakesh faced a 143-145 defeat against Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist and top-seed An Xinliang of China in the semifinal. He had secured back-to-back shoot-off victories, earning a spot in his first-ever Paralympics semifinals.
The 39-year-old Indian veteran, who exited the Tokyo Paralympics at the quarterfinal stage, first overcame world No. 2 Ken Swagumilang of Indonesia in a tense 144-144 (10-8) shoot-off to reach the quarterfinals.
Exhibiting outstanding mental toughness, Rakesh, a sports psychologist and dietician, returned to the shooting line within two hours. In another gripping shoot-off, he defeated Canada’s Kyle Tremblay with a flawless bullseye, showcasing his mental resilience and technical precision.
Rakesh started slowly, trailing by two points after nine arrows. However, with ice-cold composure, he delivered three perfect 10s in the fourth end, seizing a narrow 116-115 lead.
The tension mounted in the fourth end when Rakesh lost by one point, as the Canadian scored two 10s, with his final arrow landing closer to the center. The match ended tied at 144-144, mirroring Rakesh’s earlier quarterfinal encounter.
Unlike the Indonesian archer in the quarterfinals, the Canadian managed to hit the 10-ring, escalating the pressure. Yet, Rakesh remained unflustered, took a deep breath, and placed his arrow just 3mm closer to the center. In contrast, Ken’s arrow landed 29.55mm from the bullseye, emphasising Rakesh’s precision under pressure.
