Archery World Cup: India Bags First Gold Medal In Men's Recurve Team In 14 Years, Defeats Olympic Winner Korean Team

India's men's recurve team, comprised of Tarundeep Rai, Pravin Jadhav, and Dhiraj Bommadevara, clinched the gold medal at the 2024 Archery World Cup held in Shanghai, China. Similarly, Deepika Kumari secured a silver in the women's individual recurve event.

India's medal tally at the event totaled eight, including five gold, two silver, and one bronze. The mixed team recurve bronze was won by Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara.

In the men's team recurve finals, India faced formidable opponents from the Republic of Korea, led by Kim Woojin and Kim Je Deok, both members of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medal-winning team.

Despite the challenge, India emerged victorious with a stunning 5-1 win, marking the country's first World Cup gold medal in men's recurve team archery in 14 years, the Olympics report said.

This triumph significantly enhances India's prospects for securing a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics through rankings. Dhiraj Bommadevara had previously secured India's sole archery quota for the Paris Games.

Additionally, Dhiraj and Ankita Bhakat clinched the bronze in the mixed team event by defeating Mexico 6-0. Dhiraj set a new national record score of 693 in the men's recurve qualifiers, earning third seeding.

However, Indian archers faced disappointment in the men's individual recurve event, with Pravin and Dhiraj exiting early, and Tarundeep Rai's medal pursuit ending in the quarter-finals.

On the other hand, Deepika Kumari showcased her prowess by securing silver in the women's individual recurve event, defeating South Korea's Nam Suhyeon 6-0 in the semis but losing to another Korean, Lim Sihyeon, in the gold medal match by the same scoreline.

This marked Deepika's second consecutive medal since her return to international competition after a maternity break, following her individual gold win at the 2024 Asia Cup in Baghdad earlier this year.