Amravati: The Indian recurve team of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Amravati teenager Kumkum Mohod continued with its giant-killing act in the final by stunning host China to clinch the gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai on Sunday. It was the Indian women recurve team’s first gold since 2021.The final, where scales tilted with each set, saw India edge past title favourites China 5-4 (28-26) in a dramatic shoot-off after the four-set regulation yielded a 4-4 score. In the semifinal, India had stunned 10-time Olympic champions South Korea. The tense and thrilling final on Sunday, played before the roaring Chinese supporters, saw India staging a stunning comeback to shatter the hosts’ dream of a gold on their home turf.The Indian team, led by seasoned Deepika Kumari, began the final on a confident note, winning the first set 54-53. But the Chinese fought back determinedly, taking the next two 55-52 and 57-56. India took the fourth 54-53. This forced a shoot-off as the four-set regulation ended in a tie.With pressure building in the decider, Indian archers kept their cool and the experienced Deepika Kumari shot a crucial 9 on the final arrow to win the shoot-off 28-26 for India and seal gold. Amravati’s 17-year-old Kumkum scored a perfect 10 in the shoot-off while Ankita posted a 9. It was Deepika’s seventh World Cup team gold since 2010. She was also part of the team when India won its last gold in 2021. The gold ended Indian women’s recurve team’s three-year medal drought at the World Cup. India’s last podium finish was Stage 4 in Paris 2023.Apart from the women’s recurve team gold, India also won a bronze, clinched by Sahil Jadhav in the men’s individual compound event on Saturday. India’s hopes of winning another medal in women’s recurve individual event on Sunday ended in disappointment as Simaranjeet Kaur lost her semifinal to South Korea’s Kang Chaeyoung, the reigning world champion. The world number 1, who beat India’s Deepika Kumari 6-4 in the round of 16, blanked Simranjeet 6-0 in the semifinal.Facing Republic of Korea’s Jang Minhee — a former world champion and an Olympic team gold medallist 1 in the bronze medal, Simaranjeet lost 4-6 to finish fourth. Simranjeet was the only Indian archer to make it to the semifinal of the individual event.
