The Indian women’s recurve team, comprising Deepika Kumari, Rimil Buriuly and L. Bombayla Devi, stormed into the final of the World Cup archery Stage 3 at Medellin in Colombia. The men’s compound team made it to the bronze medal play-off.
Earlier, the mixed recurve team of Atanu Das and Deepika ensured a place in the bronze medal play-off.
The other two sides, the men’s recurve and women’s compound, were eliminated in the quarterfinals. The second-seeded Indian women enjoyed a bye in the first round. Two good victories against Venezuela at 224-201 in the quarterfinals and the U.S. at 216-211 in the semifinals enabled the trio to face top-seeded China in the final on Sunday. The final entry assured the Indian team at least of a sliver medal.
The men’s compound team, consisting of Rajat Chauhan, Ratan Singh and Sandeep Kumar, began promisingly defeating Guatemala at 227-216 in the round of 16 before thrashing El Salvador at 236-229. The sixth-seeded Indians, however, failed to tame the third-ranked France and went down at 231-234. The bronze medal play-off will be against the hosts.
A lot was expected from the Indian men’s recurve side that had Jayanta Talukdar, Atanu Das and Tarundeep Rai. Ranked 14 in the 16-team field, the Indians did very well by downing the third-ranked French team at 220-219 in the pre-quarterfinals. Facing sixth-seeded Canada, the Indians needed 30 from the last three arrows but could manage only 26 to lose the tie and a place in the semifinals.
The compound women trio of Trisha Deb, P. Lily Chanu and V. Jyothi Surekha had nothing left in them facing the World No. 1 and third seed the U.S. in the quarterfinals and lost at 223-229. All the compound events will be held later and all the recurve proceedings will be gone through on Sunday.
