Archery World Cup Stage 2: Indian women’s compound archery team strikes gold

The Indian trio of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur and Aditi Swami grabbed their third successive Archery World Cup gold medal, beating Turkey 232-226 in a lopsided compound women’s team final at the stage two event here on Saturday.

The world number one Indian compound women’s team dominated Turkey’s Hazal Burun, Ayse Bera Suzer and Begum Yuva right from the first end and sealed the gold without dropping a set, maintaining a healthy six-point margin.

For Jyothi, Parneet and world champion Aditi this completed a hat-trick of World Cup gold medals together.

They had won the season opening World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai, downing Italy last month and also ended last year with a gold at the stage four of the event in Paris.

In the compound women’s team final, the second seeded Indians began with three X (arrow near to the centre) and dropped one point each in the next three arrows to edge out their fifth seeded rivals by one point in the first round.

In the next round of six arrows, the Indians showed complete supremacy, drilling in five perfect 10s with two X, and one 9 to stretch their lead by four points at the halfway mark.

Turkey fought hard in the penultimate round to shoot four 10s with one X to match India’s score of 58.

But that did not matter much as the Indians were ahead by four points going into the fourth and final end.

They sealed it by scoring yet another 58, which was studded with three 10s and one X.

India will be eyeing a second gold of the competition when Jyothi and Priyansh take on the USA in the compound mixed team final later in the day.

A third medal is also expected from the compound category in this edition of the World Cup where Prathamesh Fuge is one win shy of a maiden individual World Cup podium finish.

Fuge, who upset 2021 world champion and world No. 6 Nico Wiener of Austria in the quarters, will be up against world No. 7 James Lutz in his bid for a maiden individual World Cup medal.

Fuge was part of the gold medal-winning men’s team in Shanghai.