It was a none-too-impressive beginning to the Olympic calendar year for Indian archers as they finished with a solitary silver medal in the World Cup Stage I, which concluded in Shanghai today.
According to information received here, the women’s compound team lost to Italy in the bronze play-off to end their campaign with only one medal - the silver that was earned by the women’s recurve trio of Deepika Kumari, Laishram Bombayla Devi and Chekorvulo Swuro.
India had a poor ninth-place finish in the 12-team medal standings that was topped by the USA with five gold, one silver and one bronze, while Korea (2-0-1) and France (1-2-1) finished second and third respectively.
The London Olympics-bound trio of Deepika, Bombayla and Swuro had yesterday lost to their Korean counterparts in the team final to settle for silver, India’s only medal from the season opener.
India had a ray of hope today in the compound women’s bronze play-off but Gagandeep Kaur, Parveena and Jyothi Surekha were thrashed by the Italian trio of Anastasia Anastasio, Laura Longo and Marcella Tonioli.
