Indian Archers Shine: Two Bronze, Four Finals at Asia Cup Stage 1

Indian archers delivered a mixed yet impressive performance at the Asia Cup World Ranking Tournament Stage 1, bagging two bronze medals and advancing to the finals in both the men’s recurve and women’s compound team events .

The women’s compound team Chikitha Taniparthi, Raj Kaur, and Tejal Salve defeated local favourites Kanyavee Maneesombatkul, Kanoknapus Kaewchomphu, and Chaniddapa Thanaratpitinan 229-226 in a tight semifinal. They will face third-seeded Kazakhstan in the final, improving on their bronze from the previous edition .

In the men’s compound team , India fielded a highly experienced combination of Rajat Chauhan, Rishabh Yadav, and Uday Kamboj . Despite topping the qualification round and holding a five-point lead in the semifinals, they narrowly lost 233-234 to Vietnam . India bounced back to claim bronze , defeating Bhutan 234-232 .

The men’s recurve team Devaang Gupta, Sukhchain Singh, and Juyel Sarkar reached the final after a 5-1 win over Malaysia , taking the first two sets and tying the third 56-all, and will face Kazakhstan . Meanwhile, the women’s recurve team Ruma Biswas, Kirti, and Ridhi Phor secured bronze by beating Malaysia 5-1, marking a podium return after missing out in the previous edition.

Individual events saw mixed outcomes . In the men's compound, Jawkar and Kamboj advanced to the gold medal match , while Chauhan competed for bronze . Ridhi Phor kept India’s women’s recurve hopes alive, defeating Malaysia’s Xing Lei Joey Tan in straight sets and advancing to the final against Mongolia’s Oyun-Erdene Baasandorj .

However, the men’s recurve campaign ended in disappointment. Sukhchain Singh lost to neutral athlete Kirill Batuev , and Devaang Gupta fell to Malaysia’s Chong Evan Rich . In women’s compound, Tejal Salve reached the bronze playoff , while Chikitha, Raj Kaur, and Swati Dudhwal exited in earlier rounds.

Overall, India showcased strong performances in compound events , promising finals appearances , and a mixed recurve outing , keeping fans hopeful for the remaining stages of the tournament.