In a remarkable feat at the Archery World Cup 2023 held in Paris, France, both the Indian men’s and women’s recurve archery teams clinched bronze medals. The event took place at the iconic Olympic Games venue.
The trio of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Atanu Das, and Tushar Prabhakar Shelke secured the bronze for the recurve men’s team. They displayed a remarkable comeback by defeating the Spanish team consisting of Pablo Acha, Yun Sanchez, and Andres Temino with a score of 6-2 on Thursday. Despite Spain’s victory over the fourth-seeded USA, the Indian team proved to be a tough opponent in the Paris conditions.
Following suit, the recurve women’s team, composed of Bhajan Kaur, Ankita Bhakat, and Simranjeet Kaur, also seized a bronze. In an intense match against Mexico’s Alejandra Valencia, Angela Ruiz, and Aida Roman, the Indian team emerged victorious in a shoot-off after the scores were tied at 4-4. India managed to level the scores after being down 4-0, and Bhajan Kaur’s exceptional shot secured the win in the shoot-off.
The Indian men’s team’s bronze medal marked India’s third achievement in the Archery World Cup this year. In interviews with World Archery’s official website, the archers praised the guidance of their coach Sergio Pagni. Atanu Das commended Pagni as the finest coach he has encountered, emphasizing his contributions to enhancing archers’ mindset and performance.
Atanu Das also acknowledged the crucial role of government support at all levels, stating, “Our government is supporting us very well at the grassroots level, until the elite level all the way.” He added that the support has provided opportunities for training abroad and has attracted numerous sponsors.
Building on the success of their male counterparts, the Indian women’s archery team displayed determination and motivation. Simranjeet Kaur mentioned, “The men’s team won one bronze before us, so we were very motivated to see them, and we just followed their footsteps.”
Looking forward, the finals of both sections in the men’s category will feature teams from the Republic of Korea and Chinese Taipei, scheduled to take place on Sunday.
-IANS
