Paris: The Indian archery contingent made a splendid start at the Archery World Cup 2023 stage 4 in Paris, France, clinching bronze medals in both the men’s and women’s recurve team events on Thursday. The triumph marked India’s successful opening at the prestigious tournament, showcasing their prowess on the international archery stage.
The Indian men’s recurve team exhibited remarkable skills by defeating Spain with a score of 6-2 in the bronze medal match. The women’s team displayed an equally impressive performance, emerging victorious against Mexico in a thrilling shoot-off after scores were tied 4-4 at the end of the fourth set.
The men’s recurve team, comprising Tokyo Olympian Atanu Das, Dhiraj Bommadevara, and Tushar Shelke, showcased their mettle by accumulating 2034 points in the qualifying round, earning them second place, only behind the Republic of Korea. Out of 26 national teams, the Indian team advanced as one of the top four, securing a bye in the first round. They continued their winning streak, overpowering Mexico 6-2 in the second round and triumphing over seventh-seeded Canada with a 5-1 victory in the quarterfinals.
However, their journey was halted by Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals, resulting in a 6-0 defeat. Undeterred, the Indian team regrouped for the bronze medal match, where they emerged victorious against Spain.
In the women’s category, the Indian recurve team consisting of Bhajan Kaur, Ankita Bhakat, and Simranjeet Kaur secured the bronze medal. Their journey, similarly to that of the men’s team, was marked by resilience and skillful execution. They ranked sixth in the 23-team qualifying event, earning a score of 1979 points. Despite facing challenges, they outperformed Japan with a 6-2 victory and Italy with a 5-1 win to reach the semi-finals. Ultimately, they were defeated by Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals with a score of 6-0, leading to their well-deserved bronze medal finish.
On an individual level, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Atanu Das shone in the men’s qualifying round, claiming fourth and sixth places, respectively. Their impressive performance secured their advancement to the first round of elimination matches. Aditi Gopichand Swami and Ojas Pravin Deotale were equally commendable but were eliminated in the initial round due to their placement outside the top 50 in the qualifications.
In the women’s individual recurve, Bhajan Kaur demonstrated exceptional skill, securing 17th place in the qualifying event. She advanced to the second round alongside Ankita Bhakat and Simranjeet Kaur. Unfortunately, Prachi Singh bowed out in the first round.
The compound archery events also bore fruit for India, with both the men’s and women’s teams progressing to the gold medal matches. Aditi Gopichand Swami and Ojas Pravin Deotale stood out in the individual compound archery events, showcasing their prowess by claiming first and second place in their respective qualifying rounds.
While direct Olympic quota places are not on offer in Paris, the Archery World Cup serves as a platform for archers to accumulate ranking points. These points will play a crucial role in determining the allocation of two team quotas for both men and women in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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