India clinch double bronze at Asia Cup Archery stage I in Bangkok
Bangkok, March 25
India opened their medal account at the Asia Cup Archery Stage I tournament with two bronze medals on Wednesday, courtesy of strong performances in the recurve women's team and compound men's team events here at the SAT Football Stadium.
The Indian women's recurve trio of Ruma Biswas, Kirti, and Ridhi secured a convincing 5-1 win over Malaysia to finish on the podium. The team had earlier placed third in the qualification round with a combined score of 1915, led by Ruma's 650, alongside Kirti's 638 and Ridhi's 627.
Their campaign included a 6-2 victory against Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals before they were outplayed 5-1 by the People's Republic of China in the semi-finals.
India's second bronze came through the compound men's team, where Rajat Chauhan, Uday Kamboj, and Rishabh Yadav edged past Bhutan 234-232 in a tightly contested playoff. The trio had earlier beaten Chinese Taipei 238-228 in the quarter-finals but fell short by a single point (234-233) against Vietnam in the semi-finals.
The Indian men's compound side had dominated the qualification stage, topping the standings with 2126 points. Rajat Chauhan led the field with a score of 712, followed closely by Rishabh Yadav (708) and Uday Kamboj (706), underlining India's depth in the discipline.
Looking ahead, India remains firmly in medal contention across multiple categories. The mixed team competitions are scheduled for Thursday, with Indian pairs competing in both recurve and compound events.
The country has already assured itself of further podium finishes, with both the women's compound team, featuring Chikitha Taniparthi, Raj Kaur, and Tejal Rajendra Salve, and the men's recurve team of Devaang Gupta, Sukhchain Singh, and Juyel Sarkar advancing to their respective gold medal matches against Kazakhstan on Friday.
In individual events, Tejal Rajendra Salve will compete for bronze in the women's compound category, while an all-Indian final in the men's compound event is guaranteed, with Prathamesh Jawkar set to face Uday Kamboj. Rajat Chauhan also has a chance to add to the tally if he wins his bronze medal match.
Meanwhile, Ridhi Phor will vie for bronze in the women's recurve event. However, India will not feature in the men's recurve individual medal rounds.
A 16-member Indian contingent, comprising eight men and eight women, has been competing across recurve and compound disciplines at the ongoing continental meet, continuing to showcase the nation's growing strength in archery on the international stage.
— IANS
Reader Comments
So proud of our archers! The compound men's team topping qualification and then that nail-biting win against Bhutan by just 2 points... my heart was racing just reading it! More medals to come, I'm sure.
Following from the US. The depth in the men's compound is remarkable - three scores over 706! An all-Indian final in that event is a huge statement. Congrats to the team.
A good performance, but we need to be critical of the men's recurve team. No individual in the medal rounds? That's an area for serious improvement before bigger tournaments like the Asian Games.
Wah! What a performance by the women's compound team, straight into the gold medal match! And Tejal Salve fighting for two medals. Our girls are on fire! 🔥 Can't wait for Friday.
Archery is one sport where India consistently punches above its weight. This is the result of years of systematic development at the grassroots. Kudos to SAI and the coaches. The future is bright.
The semi-final losses were so close, especially the men's compound losing by 1 point to Vietnam! But they bounced back strong for bronze. That's the spirit
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