Gangtok: Sikkim's celebrated archer Tarundeep Rai will represent India in the Men’s Recurve Team at the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics 2024, representing the country on one of the world's biggest sporting stages. Born on February 22, 1984, in Namchi, South Sikkim, Tarundeep Rai comes from a state in the Himalayan foothills in India. His cousin, Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia, famously put Sikkim on India’s sporting map. Following in these illustrious footsteps, Tarundeep has carved out a remarkable career in archery, becoming a three-time Olympian and bringing numerous accolades to the northeastern state. Tarundeep Rai made his international debut at the age of 19 during the 2003 Asian Archery Championships in Myanmar. That same year, he was a part of the Indian archery team that achieved a commendable fourth-place finish at the World Championships in New York. Rai's first major individual triumph came in 2004 when he won his maiden gold medal at the Asian Grand Prix in Bangkok. His success continued as he qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he competed in the men’s individual recurve event, finishing 43rd overall. Despite making it through the ranking round, Rai was eliminated by Greek archer Alexandros Karageorgiou in the first elimination round, with a close score of 147-143. He was also a part of the men’s team event, which finished 11th at the Athens Olympics.
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