3 min readMay 7, 2026 09:02 PM IST
On a day of contrasting fortunes at Archery World Cup Stage 2, the Indian women’s recurve team defeated 10-time Olympic champion South Korea while the men’s team lost shockingly against Bangladesh.
In the mixed team event, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat lost to Brazil in the second round.
The women’s team consisting of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and teenager Kumkum Mohod defeated Korea 5-1 in the semifinals to set up a gold medal clash against China on Sunday but the men’s recurve team consisting of veteran Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Boomadevara, and Yashdeep Bhoge failed to win a single set against Bangladesh in a 2-6 defeat.
While the women’s team secured a dominant win, it came against a new look Korean team with two debutants. The Korean team featured two debutants in Lee Yunji and Oh Yejin, while reigning world champion Kang Chaeyoung was the only experienced archer in the side. Olympic champions An San and Lim Sihyeon, along with last year’s Shanghai gold medallist Lee Gahyun, were absent as part of the Asian Games preparation.
The fourth-seeded Indians started strongly in the semifinal, shooting four 10s from six arrows and dropping just two points to take the opening set with a superb 58. The Koreans looked unsettled and managed only 55. India slipped slightly in the second set with an 8 but still managed to tie at 56-56 and move 3-1 ahead.
Needing just two more points to seal the match, the Indians again shot 58 in the third set, while the Koreans faltered under pressure and managed 56, handing India a memorable straight-set victory.
Embarrassment for men’s archery team
The men’s team had a forgettable day against Bangladesh. Despite qualifying as the eighth seed, the Indian team struggled for consistency and failed to win a single set in four rounds. It was a horrible start as the Indian trio shot three 8s and managed only 52 with Bangladesh taking a 2-0 lead.
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In the second set, the string of poor scores continued as another seven meant that Indian scored 54.
The third set was another low-quality affair with both teams shooting 53 each. Bangladesh finally raised their level in the fourth and final set as Abdur Rahman Alif, Ram Krishna Saha and Mohammed Mishad Prodhan dropped just three points to comfortably beat the Indians 57-53.
In the mixed team event, Bommadevara and Ankita lost to Brazil 4-5 (19-19) in the shoot-off that was decided by the arrow closer to the centre.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
