Shanghai, May 11 — India's Deepika Kumari secured a hard-earned bronze medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 2, marking a successful conclusion to the country's campaign with a total of seven medals. This achievement came after a semifinal defeat to South Korea's Lim Sihyeon, but Kumari redeemed herself with a strong performance in the bronze medal playoff.
Deepika Kumari's Redemption
Deepika, India's most decorated archer, faced disappointment in the semifinals when Lim, the reigning Olympic champion, defeated her 7-1 in a one-sided women's recurve individual match. This was a painful repeat of their encounter a year ago, when Lim had also knocked Deepika out at the same stage of the Yecheon World Cup.However, the 30-year-old Olympian quickly bounced back in the bronze medal match, where she faced another Korean, Kang Chae Young. Deepika showed great composure and tactical clarity, defeating Kang 7-3 to secure a podium finish.
The match started with both archers evenly matched, as the opening set ended in a 27-all tie. However, Deepika gained a slight edge in the second set, scoring 28 to lead 3-1. Kang, a former world champion, responded with a perfect 30 in the third set, leveling the score at 3-3. Deepika remained calm under pressure, shooting three perfect arrows in the fourth set to take a 5-3 lead.
In the final set, Deepika needed just a draw to clinch the bronze. She delivered a solid 29 to Kang's 28, securing the victory and her well-deserved bronze medal.
Parth Salunkhe Shines in Men's Recurve
In the men's recurve category, 21-year-old Parth Salunkhe earned his first World Cup medal after an impressive performance. Despite qualifying in 60th place, Salunkhe demonstrated remarkable resilience after a 1-7 loss to Korean legend Kim Woojin in the semifinals.Salunkhe, who had only managed to take one point off Woojin in his semifinal loss, regrouped and triumphed in the bronze medal playoff against French archer Baptiste Addis. In a tense five-set match, Salunkhe emerged victorious 6-4, earning his maiden World Cup medal.
The Indian started strong with a flawless 30, including an X, to win the opening set. However, Addis fought back, leveling the score after a perfect 30 in the fourth set. But Salunkhe held his nerve in the decider, shooting two 10s (one an X) and a 9 to edge out Addis by a single point and secure a place on the podium.
India's Medal Tally
The successful recurve performances by Deepika Kumari and Parth Salunkhe added two more medals to India's total, bringing the overall tally to seven medals at the Archery World Cup Stage 2. This included five medals in the compound archery section the day before, with Madhura Dhamangankar's remarkable triple-medal achievement contributing significantly to India's success.The performance of both Kumari and Salunkhe showcased India's strength in archery, as the country continues to solidify its position on the global stage.