Curtain raiser: Archers to kick start India's campaign at Rio Olympics

With all eyes on the coveted 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio is set to host one of the most prestigious sporting events on the planet, with the organisers promising a glittering opening ceremony on Friday night (BST).

Emerging from the shadows of the shocking Russian doping scandal, concerns over Zika virus, water quality in numerous areas and a lack of security measures, an eye-catching curtain raiser will surely set the ball rolling for the mega event.

Amidst 206 countries gearing up to compete across 42 sports, the organisers of the curtain raiser in the Maracana stadium will have to match the hype created by glittering opening ceremonies in the past.

The opening ceremony in Athens (2004) was classical, Beijing (2008) was grandiose and London (2012) was smart with Brit humour written all over it. And, Rio will undoubtedly be under immense pressure to follow suit - especially with the budget cuts forced upon the organisers.

But, while an estimated three billion people will watch the opening ceremony, the Indian archers will give the highly-awaited spectacle a miss due to a hectic schedule. India's campaign at Rio Games will get underway with its archers in immediate action in the crucial ranking round on Day 1.

Having made a first round exit in London in 2012, the archers will begin their campaign with the men's individual and team ranking rounds, slated tomorrow morning, while the afternoon session will begin at 1pm (BST) when the women's individual and team rankings will take place.

The Indian archery squad comprises three female archers - Deepika Kumari, Laxmirani Majhi and Bombayla Devi alongside sole male archer Atanu Das.