The Archery Association of India (AAI) is set to conduct fresh selection trials in Sonipat starting Friday, following the national team's impressive performance in the first two stages of the Archery World Cup. The team returned home with two gold medals and one bronze, but now faces the challenge of defending their spots against a strong field of contenders.
Trials for World Cup Stages 3 and 4 and Asian Games
The trials will determine India's men's and women's squads in both compound and recurve categories for World Cup Stages 3 and 4, as well as the upcoming Asian Games. Archers who missed out on earlier events will have an opportunity to break into the squad, while incumbents must prove their form once again.
Recent World Cup Success
India struck gold in the women's compound team event in Puebla, Mexico, during Stage 1, and followed it with a women's recurve team gold in Shanghai, China, in Stage 2. Sahil Jadhav added the lone individual medal — a bronze in men's compound. With three medals, India stands fifth on the overall tally after two stages. China leads with 11 medals, including five golds, followed by the USA with nine medals (three golds), Turkiye with 11 medals (two golds), and Korea with five medals (two golds).
Recurve Women's Stunning Victory
In Shanghai, India's recurve women stunned Korea in the semifinals before beating hosts China for gold. Simranjeet Kaur, who was not part of the winning team, impressed in the individual draw, reaching the semifinals before losing to world No. 1 Kang Chae-young of Korea, the eventual champion.
Concerns Over Consistency
The two team golds highlight India's strength at the top, but the solitary individual bronze exposes a lack of depth. Indian archers rarely reached the quarterfinals in individual and mixed events across the first two stages, raising concerns about consistency.
Intense Competition Expected at Sonipat
The Sonipat trials promise intense competition. The schedule includes qualification rounds over the first two days, followed by a round-robin league and eliminations. Archers who missed out earlier will look to break into the squad, while incumbents must prove their form again.
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