The Indian men’s and women’s compound archery teams have made a significant impact at the 2024 Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai. Both teams have assured the country of a podium finish by reaching the finals in their respective events.
Men’s team performance at Archery World Cup Stage 1
The men’s team, comprising experienced archer Abhishek Verma, newcomer Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge, and reigning U-21 world champion Priyansh, displayed formidable form. They defeated the Philippines and Denmark before upsetting top qualifier South Korea to book a title showdown against the Netherlands. The victory against South Korea was particularly noteworthy, with the Indian team winning by just two points at 235-233.
Women’s team performance at Archery World Cup Stage 1
The women’s team, consisting of reigning U-18 and senior champion Aditi Swami, Asian Games gold-medallist Jyothi Surekha Vennam, and Parneet Kaur, also showcased their dominance. As the reigning world champions and top seeds, they defeated Turkey and Estonia to set up a title clash with Italy. The trio dropped just 10 points through the two matches, confirming their superiority.
Aiming for Gold🥇as #TeamIndia🇮🇳 reaches the #Archery #WorldCup Stage 1 Finals 🇨🇳🏹☑️
While the Compound Women's team of @VJSurekha, Aditi and @Parrneettt reached the finals defeating Estonia🇪🇪 2️⃣3️⃣5️⃣-2️⃣3️⃣0️⃣
The men's team of @archer_abhishek, Prathmesh and Priyansh also made… pic.twitter.com/5Q3zRlFtYL
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) April 24, 2024
Abhishek Verma, after the nerve-wracking semifinal contest against the Koreans, said, “Our coordination was good today and we read the wind well. The semifinals are always tight matches. We were prepared to shoot well and happy to make it to gold”. Priyansh, who trains with Abhishek in Delhi, expressed his thrill at competing against strong opponents he had previously only seen on social media.
Aditi Swami attributed the women’s team performance to the process the side has been following for long. “We maintained our shooting process and it worked well,” she said. She expressed hope that they could repeat the success of the World Cup in Paris last year, where both the Indian men and women won the team gold medals.
The finals promise to be exciting contests. The Indian men’s team will face the 10th-seeded Dutchmen, who won a tie-break against France to book their ticket to the final. The Indian women’s team will face Italy, who overcame Kazakhstan in a semifinal shoot-off after the scores were tied at 227 points.
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