Surekha Vennam wins historic bronze at archery World Cup final

Indian archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam etched her name in history on Saturday, becoming the first Indian woman compound archer to win a medal at the World Cup Final, clinching a bronze with a stunning display of precision and composure.

The reigning Asian Games champion was in sublime form, defeating world No. 2 Ella Gibson of Great Britain 150–145 with a flawless round of 15 perfect 10s. Her clinical performance not only earned her a place on the podium but also underlined her status as one of the most consistent and dominant compound archers in the world.

Jyothi had earlier begun her campaign with a confident 143–140 win over America’s Alexis Ruiz in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she went down narrowly 143–145 to world No. 1 Andrea Becerra of Mexico after leading by a point midway through the match. Becerra’s late surge denied Jyothi a spot in the gold medal clash, but the Indian star bounced back brilliantly in the bronze medal playoff.

This was Jyothi’s third appearance at the World Cup Final, having exited in the first round in Tlaxcala (2022) and Hermosillo (2023). The 29-year-old’s bronze now marks a major milestone in Indian archery.

India’s other women’s compound qualifier, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, lost 142–145 to Mexico’s Mariana Bernal in the opening round. In the men’s compound section, Rishabh Yadav remains in contention and will face South Korea’s Kim Jongho later in the day.