Asian Games 2018: Deepika Kumari misses flight as she is diagnosed with dengue

What's the story?

In a big jolt to India’s medal aspirations, archer Deepika Kumari missed the flight to Jakarta for the Asian Games, which starts later this week. She is currently suffering from dengue fever and has slim possibilities of participating in the mega event.

In case you didn't know...

Deepika Kumari is currently ranked No. 7 in the world in the recurve category; she has been a part of the 2012 London and the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Arjuna Awardee has won two gold medals at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, along with several World Cup titles under her name. After claiming a bronze medal in the recurve team event at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, she was always touted as one of the favourites for a medal in Jakarta.

The heart of the matter

As per the reports, Deepika did not board the flight to Jakarta with other members. Instead, she is booked on a flight to Indonesia on Friday as she is expected to recover by then. The decision was taken by the officials, who are closely observing her developments and are hopeful she will be fit just in time to participate in the mega event.

The recurve competition which includes the individual and mixed team event will begin on August 22, which is about a week from now. So, Deepika still has a lot of time to recover from her illness.

What's next?

With just two days left for the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games to begin, the contingent is on the move to the centre stage. Deepika Kumari is one of the medal contenders, so it is very crucial for her to be in the best of her health when her event takes place. The Asiad begins on August 18 and concludes on September 2.

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Do you think Deepika Kumari can recover in time and compete at the Asian Games? Share your thoughts in the comments below.