The Indian women's recurve team, comprising Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod from Amravati, continued its giant-killing spree by stunning host China in the final to clinch the gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai on Sunday. This marked India's first gold in the women's recurve team event since 2021.
A Dramatic Final
The final was a nail-biter, with momentum swinging after each set. India edged past title favorites China 5-4 (28-26) in a dramatic shoot-off after the four-set regulation ended in a 4-4 tie. In the semifinal, India had stunned 10-time Olympic champions South Korea. The tense and thrilling final, played before roaring Chinese supporters, saw India stage a stunning comeback to shatter the hosts' dream of a gold on their home turf.
Set-by-Set Action
The Indian team, led by seasoned Deepika Kumari, began the final confidently, winning the first set 54-53. However, the Chinese fought back determinedly, taking the next two sets 55-52 and 57-56. India responded by winning the fourth set 54-53, forcing a shoot-off as the regulation ended in a tie.
Shoot-Off Heroics
With pressure mounting in the decider, the Indian archers kept their composure. Deepika Kumari shot a crucial 9 on the final arrow to win the shoot-off 28-26 for India. Amravati's Kumkum Mohod scored a perfect 10 in the shoot-off, while Ankita Bhakat posted a 9. This was Deepika's seventh World Cup team gold since 2010; she was also part of the team that won India's last gold in 2021. The gold ended the Indian women's recurve team's three-year medal drought at the World Cup. India's last podium finish was at Stage 4 in Paris 2023.
Other Indian Performances
Apart from the women's recurve team gold, India also won a bronze medal, clinched by Sahil Jadhav in the men's individual compound event on Saturday. However, India's hopes of winning another medal in the women's recurve individual event ended in disappointment as Simaranjeet Kaur lost her semifinal to South Korea's Kang Chaeyoung, the reigning world champion. The world number 1, who had earlier beaten Deepika Kumari 6-4 in the round of 16, blanked Simranjeet 6-0 in the semifinal. In the bronze medal match, Simaranjeet faced Republic of Korea's Jang Minhee, a former world champion and Olympic team gold medalist, and lost 4-6 to finish fourth. Simranjeet was the only Indian archer to reach the semifinal of the individual event.
