Amravati: Matching the precision of seasoned Deepika Kumari and Ankita Bhakat, Amravati’s 16-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod helped the Indian women’s team pull off an upset win over Korea in the semifinals of the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai on Thursday. The women’s team toppled 10-time Olympic champions South Korea 5-1 to set up a gold medal clash with China on Sunday.While the women soared, India’s men’s recurve squad of Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara, and Amravatian Yashdeep Bhoge bowed out early, falling 2-6 to Bangladesh in a lackluster opening-round performance.Keeping her nerve in tense situations, Kumkum showed why she is being regarded India’s next archery star in the making. With Kumkum upping her game at the right moment, the women’s team produced a clinical display to guarantee India its first medal of the event.Up against Korea, the fourth-seeded Indian women struck first and never let go. They opened with four perfect 10s in six arrows, conceding only two points to claim the first set 58-55 to rattle Korea.The second set was tighter. India’s accuracy dipped slightly, but both teams were tied at 56-56 as India stretched the lead to 3-1. With history on the line, Deepika Kumari’s team closed it out in style, firing another 58 in the third set to Korea’s 56 and sealing a decisive 5-1 victory.Korea fielded a developmental lineup ahead of the Asian Games in Japan, pairing debutants Lee Yunji and Oh Yejin with world champion Kang Chaeyoung. Olympic stars An San and Lim Sihyeon did not compete in the event.Kumkum, who topped Indian recurve trials in February, never let her seasoned companions down during the high-pressure semifinal. Now, she is assured of a medal in just her second World Cup outing. “She has lived up to my expectations. She is India’s future star in recurve,” said Prafull Dange, Kumkum’s coach.India’s day began with a 6-2 win over Uzbekistan after a slow start. The real test came in the quarterfinals against Vietnam. Locked at 4-4, the match went to a shoot-off where the Indians held their nerve, dropping just two points across three arrows to win 28-25 and advance.If India women win gold against China on Sunday, it will be their first since Guatemala City Stage 1 archery World Cup gold in 2021.In the past, India won gold at Shanghai 2011, Medellin 2013, Wroclaw 2013, Wroclaw 2014, Guatemala City, Stage 1. India reached finals of Paris 2021, Stage 3, but lost to Mexico, and then in Paris 2022, Stage 3, where it lost to Chinese Taipei in finalIndia’s Challenge In Mixed Team Event EndsIndia’s challenge in mixed team events ended on Thursday with the exit of compound and recurve teams. While compound mixed team of Ojas Deotale and Aditi Swami lost 156-157 to USA’s Alexis Ruiz and James Lutz in a closely contested match, the recurve mixed team of Dhiraj Bommadevra and Ankita Bhakat went down 4-5 fighting to Brazil’s Ana Luiza Sliachticas Caetano and Marcus D’Almeido in quarterfinals.
