6 min readChandigarhMay 10, 2026 11:11 PM IST
A total of 15 scores of 8 and three scores of 7 were shot by Indian and Chinese archers in the final in windy conditions, at the Archery World Cup Shanghai Stage 2 on Sunday.
Eight of those 8s and two 7s came from Indian arrows. Yet, the Indian recurve women’s team of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Kumkum Mohod ensured it was India who won their first women’s team gold at the Archery World Cup Shanghai Stage 2 medal on Sunday, the first since 2021.
It was the first medal since 2023 in world cups with a 5-4 win via shoot-off (28-26) over the Chinese team of Zhu Jingyi, Huang Yuwei and Yu Qi. The win came days after the Indian women’s recurve team had edged out the Korean team of Kang Chaeyoung, Oh Yejin and Lee Yunjiin in the semifinals and the gold meant that Deepika took her World Cup medal count to 39.
“Team ne last tak fight kia aur gold jeeta. (The team fought till the end and won the gold),” shared Kumari while speaking with The Indian Express from Shanghai. “We had been losing in the first or second round in team competitions in World Cups for the last 1-2 years, but this gold medal came at the right time for us. To win the gold medal with a win over last World Cup champions China in the final, and a win over the Korean team in the semis is a boost for each one of us,” she added.
7 and string of 8s, then shoot-off comeback
With the final being played in different conditions than the semi-final and qualification, which was played inside the Athletics Stadium, it meant that the wind was not just swirling but directly gusting from opposite end. India started with Bhakat shooting an 8 followed by Mohod and Kumari shooting 10s. Then Bhakat and Mohod shot 8s. With the Chinese ending the set with a score of 53, Deepika needed to hit a 10 to win the first set for India. The four-time Olympian struck 10 to make it 2-0 for India.
With the Chinese team shooting 55 in the second set, the Indian team needed a 10 off the last shot by Deepika to tie the set before Deepika hit a 7. The Chinese then shot a 57 in the third set with Deepika needing a 10 off the last shot to tie the set with her hitting a 7.
The third set was initially tied at 56 each with Deepika hitting an 8 off the last shot before Qi’s second shot was upgraded to 9 from an 8 with China taking a 4-2 lead. “There was a bit of confusion early as the wind was a bit awkward. The flags on both the targets were flowing in different directions and it was a bit difficult to judge. And that resulted in arrows going a bit off. But we were trying to improve and the focus was on how to get the shot better,” added Deepika.
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At the midway stage in the fourth set, China were trailing 25-27. India finished with a total of 53 points with Bhakat hitting a 10 followed by Mohod’s 7 and Deepika’s 10. With the Chinese needing only a 9 to tie the set and win the match, Qi hit an 8 to hand the two points to India with the match going into the shoot-off. For once the 8 came from the Chinese.
With China shooting first and Jingyi hitting an 8, Bhakat hit a 9 followed by Yuwei hitting a 9. Mohod hit a 10 to make it 19-17 in India’s favour. With Qi hitting a 9, India needed an 8 to win the shoot-off, Deepika hit a 9 to help India make their head to head win against China 18-7. “All of us knew that the low scores are past in the match and we have to aim afresh. We knew China needed a 9 to win the match in the fourth set, but when she hit an 8, once again we told each other that shoot-off is like a fresh start for us. Ankita and Kumkum too handled the pressure well in the shoot-off,” added Deepika.
Deepika had a shot average of 9.22 in the final with Bhakat having an average of 8.66 and Mohod too with an average of 9.22 in the final, Indian team’s recurve women coach Prafull Dange remembered the conversation he had with the trio amid the tense final. “The talk was focussing on the process rather than thinking about the wind. It can happen initially that the arrows are a bit wayward as one tries to aim to adjust to wind. Deepika knows how to come back and when Ankita too made a comeback, I knew the angry Ankita had returned. Kumkum was a bit nervous like any youngster ahead of the final but then the coaching staff spent time with her to calm her nerves. She held her nerves amid the wind especially hitting a 10 in the shoot-off,” said Dange.
Asian Games trials and the challenge
All the Indian archers including Simranjeet Kaur, who finished fourth in the women’s recurve individual post her semi-final loss against world number one Kang Chaeyoung of Korea and bronze medal loss against Korea’s Jang Minhee, will be competing in the trial stages for the Asian Games this week.
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With the qualification for the LA Olympics starting with next year’s World Championships, Deepika knows the importance of hitting peak form individually as well as in a team. “The talk has been how this medal will motivate each one of us in the trials. And then of course, our aim will be to repeat this gold in the team event in Asian Games too before the road to the LA Olympics begins,” signed off Deepika.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
