The Indian men’s and women’s compound archery teams have secured spots in the finals of the ongoing Archery World Cup. Dheeraj Bommadewara set a new national record and clinched third place in the men’s recurve qualifying round.
The men’s team, seeded fourth and comprising Abhishek Verma, debutant Prathamesh Bhalachandra Phuge, and under-21 world champion Priyansh, overcame challenges from Korea in the semi-finals, defeating the Philippines and Denmark along the way. They are set to face off against the Netherlands in the final.
On the women’s side, India’s reigning world champions secured their spot in the finals after victories over Turkey and Estonia. Italy will be their opponent in the showdown. Despite early setbacks, Aditi Swamy, Jyoti Surekha Vennam, and Praneet Kaur are determined to make a mark in the finals.
The Indian men’s team created waves by edging out Korea 235-233 in a nail-biting encounter. Abhishek Verma expressed satisfaction with their performance, citing good rhythm and effective use of wind conditions.
Reflecting on their chances in the finals, Aditi expressed hope for a repeat of last year’s success in Paris, where both Indian men and women clinched team gold medals.
In other results, the women’s team from Kazakhstan and the men’s team from Korea secured bronze medals. Bommadewara’s stellar performance in the qualifying round earned him a spot in the preliminary round against Czech Republic’s Adam Lee.
In the women’s category, Ankita Bhakta, Kaur Bhajan, and former world number one Deepika Kumari secured positions in the qualifying round, with the Indian team ranking sixth overall.
With the top 65 archers advancing to the main event in the recurve singles category, the stage is set for an intense battle in the finals.
