Archers Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari to wed on June 30
The two archers, set for Tokyo, are on course to compete at the Olympic Games as a married couple.
Indian archers Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari are all set to tie the knot on June 30.
The two Olympians, who first met in 2008, have been engaged since 2018 and had plans to wed after the Tokyo Olympics, which was scheduled for July-August this year.
With the COVID-19 pandemic leading to the postponement of the Summer Games to 2021, Atanu and Deepika decided to bring their plans forward and exchange vows..
“The original idea was to focus completely on the Olympics and get married once it's over. But now, with the postponement, we're having second thoughts,” Atanu Das had earlier told ESPN.
Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari had earlier deferred plans of marriage thrice due to their sporting commitments.
“We want to get the marriage out of the way as we have been engaged for almost two years now,” Atanu Das told The Tribune.
Ceremony to be a muted affair
The duo was reportedly considering two dates – one in June and another in November – but chose the earliest possible one for their nuptial ceremony to be held in Ranchi, Deepika Kumari’s hometown.
This is because they expect the national camp to be held in November.
The ceremony, however, will be a small and private one keeping in mind the protocols of social distancing due to the pandemic.
The guest list will be restricted to two batches with 50 guests in each.
“We are also having to think about how to ensure that the guests wear masks all the time and maintain distance. The people serving food will wear masks and gloves. We have to be safe and keep others safe,” Atanu Das explained.
Olympics as a married couple
Both archers are likely to represent India at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Deepika Kumari secured an individual quota place courtesy her gold medal finish at the Asian Continental Qualification Tournament in Bangkok in November 2019.
Meanwhile, Atanu Das, with Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav, sealed a quota place in the men’s recurve team event with a silver-medal show at the 2019 World Championships.
Indian badminton stars Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap participated together at the 2012 London Olympics but only got married six years later.
Deepika Kumari has previously represented India at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games while Atanu Das took part in the last edition four years ago.