Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari inspired the Indian womenโs 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.
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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.
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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 Qiโto claw back into the contest.
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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.
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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 Indiaโs 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 womenโs recurve World Cup final since 2021.
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It also marked Indiaโs first womenโs recurve World Cup medal in three years, their previous podium finish coming in Paris in 2023, where Ankita was part of the team.
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Deepika, a key figure in Indiaโs 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.
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Indiaโs 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.
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India thus concluded the Stage 2 World Cup with two medals, one gold in the womenโs recurve team event and a bronze secured by Sahil Jadhav in the menโs individual compound section on Saturday.
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The result underlined Indiaโs growing depth in archery, particularly in the womenโs recurve category, as the young combination of Ankita and Kumkum complemented the experience of Deepika to deliver a memorable victory under pressure.
