Pune: Staying away from negative emotions is the strategy of star Indian archer Deepika Kumari as she heads to the Tokyo Games.
Going into the mega event as World Nuo 1 has given the 27-year-old a plus point, as she lays off her two poor performance in London and Rio.
Deepika is in the peak form of her career, attaining the No 1 ranking after winning two individual World Cup gold medals this year.
She and her husband Atanu Das are India's best Olympic medal hope in the mixed pair competition.
However, the power couple of Indian archery has turned into 'fiercest rivals' in the lead up to the Tokyo Games.
Finding herself as the lone female archer in the Indian camp after the women's team failed to make the cut, Deepika has resorted to the next best option -- competing with her husband Atanu.
The duo will be the first Indian couple to take part in the same event in an Olympic Games.
Deepika said Atanu is now doubling up as "coach-mentor" as they chase India's elusive dream of winning first-ever Olympic medal in archery.
Not only Atanu, Deepika is competing against all the three male members of the Tokyo-bound team as well as the trainees at the Army Sports Institute in Pune.
It all happened after the World Cup in Paris last month where the women's trio of Deepika, Ankita Bhakat and Komalika Bari failed to qualify for the Olympics as a team as the world number one found herself as "the lone female" archer at ASI.
