India's Archery Team Falls Short Against Colombia in World Cup Final

In a gripping showdown at the Archery World Cup Stage 4 in Madrid, India's women's compound team, featuring Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikitha Taniparthi, fell short against Colombia, securing a silver medal. Despite a strong performance from 17-year-old Prithika, who hit six 10s, the team struggled with consistency. Colombia's Alejandra Usquiano shone with eight consecutive 10s, leading her team to victory. As India looks to add to their medal tally in other events, the focus remains on the promising talents emerging from the squad.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 11, 2026, 19:11 IST

Disappointing Finish for Indian Archers

In Madrid, the Indian archery team, consisting of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikitha Taniparthi, faced a tough challenge in the women's compound team final, ultimately losing to Colombia with a score of 228-232. This defeat resulted in a silver medal for the Indian squad at the Archery World Cup Stage 4 held on Saturday.

This silver medal marks India's first achievement in the season-ending tournament, with hopes of increasing their medal count later in the day.

Young talent Prithika has advanced to the women's compound individual semifinals and is just one victory away from achieving a remarkable double.

Additionally, India is vying for two more medals in the recurve category, with another promising teenager, Kirti Sharma, who made her World Cup debut last month in Antalya, also aiming for a double.

Kirti will team up with India's top archer Dhiraj Bommadevara in the recurve mixed team bronze-medal playoff and needs one more win to secure another medal, having already reached the women's individual semifinal.

Ranked third in the women's compound team event, India had previously secured gold at the season-opening Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Puebla, Mexico, in April. However, they struggled to pose a significant threat to Colombia, ranked 14th in the world, who showcased a strong performance to claim the title.

Prithika, at just 17 years old, was the standout performer for India, scoring six 10s, including two perfect rounds.

Conversely, Jyothi's performance was disappointing, as she only managed three 10s out of eight arrows, contributing to India's inability to mount a serious challenge.

Colombia's Alejandra Usquiano was exceptional, hitting eight consecutive 10s, which proved crucial in the match.

Even the renowned compound archer, World No. 7 and former world champion Sara Lopez, had an inconsistent performance, but Usquiano's excellence kept Colombia in control throughout the competition.

India started slowly, scoring 55 in the first end, while Colombia surged ahead with 57, largely due to Alejandra's impeccable shooting.

The World No. 4 set the tone for her team with effortless 10s.

In a bid to level the score, India needed three 10s in the final shot. Jyothi and Prithika delivered, but Chikitha faltered with an eight, leaving India trailing by two points.

Colombia raised their game in the second end, achieving a perfect score of 60 as Alejandra continued her streak of 10s, while Mariana Rodriguez and Sara also found their rhythm.

India, on the other hand, dropped two points, managing only 58, and fell further behind at 113-117 by the halfway mark.

In the third end, India responded strongly, except for Jyothi's opening nine, as they regrouped effectively, scoring five consecutive 10s for a total of 59.

Colombia managed three 10s and three nines for 57, allowing India to take the end and narrow the gap to two points at 172-174.

However, India faltered again in the crucial fourth end under pressure.

While the rookie duo of Prithika and Chikitha hit 10s, Jyothi continued to struggle with her aim.

Needing a perfect finish to force a shoot-off, India could only manage 56, compared to Colombia's 58.