New Delhi: Veteran archer Deepika Kumari led the Indian women’s team to a thrilling gold medal victory over China at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai on Sunday. The team, comprising Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod, triumphed 5-4 (28-26) in the women’s recurve event after a nail-biting shoot-off, following a 4-4 tie in the regulation four-set match.
India initially lagged at 2-4 despite winning the first set. The Chinese team, featuring youthful competitors Zhu Jingyi, Huang Yuwei, both 21, and another teenager, Yu Qi, failed to secure the match in the fourth set, allowing India a glimmer of hope.
In the shoot-off, the Indian team demonstrated remarkable composure, with Kumkum hitting a 10 on her first arrow, followed by a nine from Ankita and another nine from Deepika. The Chinese archers fell short under the pressure, giving India the gold medal and marking their second medal of the tournament.
This victory was particularly significant as it came after the Indian team defeated the ten-time Olympic champions, South Korea, in the semifinals, earning their first women’s team World Cup gold since 2021. Deepika, who was part of India’s victorious squads in Guatemala City and Paris in 2021, has now accumulated seven World Cup team gold medals since 2010.
The achievement also signified the first podium finish for the Indian women’s recurve team in three years; their last medal was secured at Stage 4 in Paris in 2023, where Ankita was part of the gold-winning team.
In total, India concluded their campaign in Shanghai with two medals. Earlier, Sahil Jadhav earned a bronze medal in the men’s individual compound event. However, Simranjeet Kaur faced defeat in the semifinals against World No. 1 and eventual champion Kang Chae-young, and subsequently lost her bronze medal match to South Korean archer Jang Min-hee.
