Sarita Kumari’s journey at the Paris Paralympics ended on a disappointing note when she lost to Turkey’s world champion, Oznur Cure Girdi, in the Women’s individual quarterfinals with a score of 145-140. Sarita struggled to stay composed during the match, losing the first two sets 26-28 and 27-30. These early losses put her at a disadvantage, and she couldn’t regain her rhythm.
Sarita found it difficult to hit the bullseye in the initial sets, managing her first one only in the third set, which she won. However, this wasn’t enough to turn the match around. The fourth set was intense, with both archers hitting three bullseyes each, ending in a 30-30 tie.
Despite this strong performance, Sarita couldn’t challenge Oznur, who maintained control throughout the match and secured the win. Oznur came close to setting a new world record, missing it by just one point. Earlier in the day, another Indian para-archer, Sheetal Devi, also faced a setback, losing narrowly to Mariana Zuniga from Czechia. Sheetal began strongly with two consecutive 10s but ultimately lost 138-137.
The defeats of Sarita Kumari and Sheetal Devi reflect the tough competition at the Paralympics and mark a challenging day for India.
