The world of archery was witness to a historic moment when the Indian men’s recurve team, comprising Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara, and Pravin Jadhav, clinched the gold medal at the 2024 Archery World Cup held in Shanghai, China. This victory marked India’s first World Cup gold medal in men’s recurve team archery in 14 years.
Indian recurve team overcome tough challenge at Archery World Cup
The Indian team faced off against the formidable Republic of Korea’s team, which included Kim Woojin and Kim Je Deok, Lee Woo Seok. The Korean team, renowned for their prowess in archery, were the reigning Olympic champions. However, the Indian team, undeterred by their opponents’ reputation, secured a remarkable 5-1 victory.
The Indian team’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. They tied the first set with the Koreans 57-57. The second set saw the Indian team take the two set points on offer with a score of 57 as compared to 55 shots by the Koreans. Up by 3-1 in the final, the Indian team shot a total of 55 as compared to Korea’s 53 to pocket the historic gold medal.
This victory was not just a win in a tournament; it was a triumph over a 14-year-long wait, which signifies the team’s perseverance. The win was India’s maiden win over archery powerhouse Korea in the men’s team event at the world level. It also meant that an Indian men’s Recurve team emerged champions for the first time at any Archery World Cup since 2010.
HISTORY REPEATED!
The #TOPS Athlete trio of Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Pravin Jadhav become part of history as the Indian Recurve team defeats Korean Recurve Team 🏹 after 1️⃣4️⃣ years ⏳
The South Koreans are formidable in this event, having won 6 out of a possible 9… pic.twitter.com/uKPMLOpEtm
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) April 28, 2024
Each member of the team played a crucial role in this historic win. Dhiraj Bommadevara, the only Paris Olympics quota holder for India, had shot a qualification score of 693. Tarundeep Rai, the veteran of the team, shot 684, and Praveen Jadhav contributed with a score of 672. Their combined efforts helped the Indian team finish with a total of 2049, just behind Korea’s 2055.
This victory has boosted the confidence of the trio ahead of the last Olympic qualifier in Antalya in June. It has also enhanced India’s ranking points, placing it in a stronger position to qualify through the world rankings in case the team is not able to make it to Paris 2024 through the qualifier.
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