Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari inspired the Indian women’s recurve team to a thrilling shoot-off victory over hosts China to clinch the gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 here on Sunday, as India ended the competition with two medals.
The Indian trio of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and teenager Kumkum Mohod held their nerve in a tense finale, edging past the Chinese team 5-4 (28-26) in the shoot-off after the regulation four sets ended level at 4-4.
In a match marked by fluctuating fortunes, India looked in control early after taking the opening set but allowed China, fielding a relatively inexperienced side of Zhu Jingyi, Huang Yuwei and Yu Qi—to claw back into the contest.
With India trailing 2-4 at one stage, the hosts were on the verge of sealing victory in the fourth set. However, under pressure, 18-year-old Yu Qi slipped to an eight on her final arrow when a nine would have secured the match, forcing the contest into a shoot-off.
In the tie-breaker, India produced a composed finish. Kumkum opened with a superb 10, Ankita followed with a nine, and Deepika held her nerve to deliver a nine that sealed the gold medal for India.
Aalso read: Women archers beat Korea, assure India’s first World Cup medal
The victory carried added significance as India had earlier stunned 10-time Olympic champions South Korea in the semifinal to reach their first women’s recurve World Cup final since 2021.
It also marked India’s first women’s recurve World Cup medal in three years, their previous podium finish coming in Paris in 2023, where Ankita was part of the team.
Deepika, a key figure in India’s archery setup, once again led from the front, guiding her younger teammates through high-pressure moments despite a lack of full-time national coaching support during the tournament.
India’s campaign, however, also saw heartbreak in the individual section, with Simranjeet Kaur missing out on a medal. She lost 0-6 to world number one and eventual champion Kang Chaeyoung of South Korea in the semifinal before going down to another Korean archer, Jang Minhee, in the bronze medal playoff.
India thus concluded the Stage 2 World Cup with two medals, one gold in the women’s recurve team event and a bronze secured by Sahil Jadhav in the men’s individual compound section on Saturday.
The result underlined India’s growing depth in archery, particularly in the women’s recurve category, as the young combination of Ankita and Kumkum complemented the experience of Deepika to deliver a memorable victory under pressure.
Follow us
