Rahul falls in shoot-off, others bow out

India’s men’s recurve archers endured a disappointing day at the World Championships as all three contenders were knocked out in the individual rounds, exposing once again the team’s struggle to convert promise into podium finishes on the world stage.

Debutant Rahul emerged as the most promising performer, making it to the third round before suffering a heartbreaking defeat in a shoot-off. Facing Georgia’s Aleksandre Machavariani, the 21-year-old squandered a commanding 5-1 lead and eventually lost 5-6 (8-10). Rahul began brightly, drawing the opening set 28-all before shooting a flawless 30/30 to win the second.

He edged the third 28-27 to take control, needing only a draw in the fourth to seal the match. However, nerves got the better of him as he slipped to an 8 while Machavariani fired three 10s to stay alive. The Georgian then forced a decider, where Rahul’s 8 fell short against a perfect 10.

Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara, considered India’s best hope, faced a formidable challenge right from the start against former Olympic champion Mete Gazoz of Turkey. Despite fighting hard, Dhiraj went down 2-6. After drawing the first set 29-all, Gazoz edged ahead with two 29-28 wins and maintained control. Dhiraj managed another draw in the fourth but it wasn’t enough to turn the contest around.

The third Indian in action, Neeraj Chauhan, endured a one-sided defeat against Uzbekistan’s Bobrajabov Bekzod. Outshot in every set, Neeraj lost 0-6 with scores of 27-29, 27-28, 26-29.

With all three men’s recurve archers out of the medal race, India’s hopes in the individual section came to an abrupt end, highlighting once more the pressing need for greater composure and consistency in high-pressure encounters.