India Secures Silver at Archery World Cup Stage 4 in Madrid
India's Performance at the Archery World Cup
India kicked off their campaign at the Archery World Cup Stage 4 by clinching a silver medal in the women's compound team event. The team, consisting of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikitha Taniparthi, faced off against Colombia in the final held in Madrid on July 11. Despite a valiant effort, they fell short with a score of 228-232, as Colombia delivered a strong performance to secure the gold medal. This silver marks India's first medal at this season-ending World Cup stage, with additional medal opportunities still available later in the day.
Although the final did not go in India's favor, 17-year-old Prithika showcased her potential by scoring six perfect 10s, including two flawless rounds. She has advanced to the women's compound semifinal, where she will compete against Malaysia's Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh. A victory in this match would grant India a second medal at the tournament.
Prithika's journey to the semifinals was impressive, especially after finishing 23rd in the qualification round with a score of 342. She demonstrated remarkable resilience, defeating Germany's Franziska Goppel 148-142 in the second round, followed by a narrow win over South Korea's Park Jungyoon 145-144 in the third round. In the fourth round, she triumphed against the USA's Liko Arreola with a score of 147-146, securing her place in the semifinals with a 140-135 victory over Spain's Andrea Muñoz.
Continued Medal Aspirations in Recurve Events
India's hopes for medals remain intact in the recurve events, despite both the men's and women's teams exiting in the quarterfinals. Kirti Sharma, a teenage archer making her World Cup debut in Antalya last month, is aiming for a double podium finish. She will team up with India’s top-ranked Dhiraj Bommadevara in the mixed team bronze-medal playoff and has also reached the women's individual semifinal, just one win away from another medal.
Ranked third in the women's compound team event, India entered the final with aspirations of adding to the gold they secured at the season-opening World Cup Stage 1 in Puebla, Mexico, earlier this year. However, Colombia, ranked 14th in the world, dominated the match from the beginning, preventing India from gaining any momentum. Veteran archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam had an unusually subdued performance, scoring only three 10s from her eight arrows, which contributed to India's struggle to keep pace. Jyothi's overall campaign was disappointing, finishing 36th in the individual category with a qualifying score of 340. Although she progressed to the knockout rounds, her journey ended in the second round against Sanne de Laat from the Netherlands. Colombia's Alejandra Usquiano played a pivotal role in her team's victory, hitting eight consecutive 10s, while even former world champion Sara Lopez had an inconsistent outing. Usquiano's exceptional accuracy ensured Colombia maintained control throughout the match, ultimately securing the gold medal.