India's Compound Archers Deliver Stellar Performance at Asia Cup in Bangkok
India's compound archers showcased an impressive display of skill and determination at the Asia Cup–World Ranking Tournament Stage 1 in Bangkok on Friday, clinching the mixed team gold and women's team silver. This outstanding achievement significantly bolstered India's medal tally to four, comprising one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals, following earlier podium finishes by the women's recurve team and the men's compound team on Wednesday.
Mixed Team Duo Secures Gold in Tense Final
The highlight of the morning session was the remarkable performance by the top-seeded compound mixed team pair of Chikitha Taniparthi and Rajat Chauhan. In a closely contested gold medal clash, they edged past second-seeded Malaysia with a score of 158-156. The match was decided by fine margins and exceptional composure under pressure.
India dropped only two points across 16 arrows, while the Malaysian duo of Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh and Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki dropped four. Chikitha and Rajat began strongly with four consecutive 10s and maintained their rhythm despite a brief shift in momentum midway through the match. After three ends, India held a narrow 118-117 lead. Malaysia briefly surged in the third end with a perfect 40, while India managed 39. However, in the decisive final end, the Indian pair responded with four successive 10s to seal the victory, as Malaysia could only produce 39. This gold marked a significant turnaround after India returned empty-handed in the mixed team event in the previous edition.
Women's Team Earns Silver in Close Contest
Later in the day, the Indian women's compound team, consisting of Chikitha Taniparthi, Raj Kaur, and Tejal Salve, secured the silver medal after losing a closely fought final 227-229 to Kazakhstan's Viktoriya Lyan, Diana Yunussova, and Roxana Yunussova.
India had led 115-113 at the halfway mark after 12 arrows, but a costly third end, where they scored 54 while Kazakhstan shot 58, swung the match in Kazakhstan's favor. The final end finished level at 58-58, with Kazakhstan's third-end surge proving decisive. Despite the defeat, the silver medal represented an improvement from India's bronze medal finish in the previous edition, highlighting the team's progress and resilience.
Prospects for Further Medals Remain High
The Indian contingent has the potential to further swell the medal tally, with four more medals assured later in the day. India has entries in three finals, including:
- The women's recurve individual event featuring Ridhi Phor
- The men's recurve team final
- The men's compound individual event, which will see an all-Indian showdown for the title
These upcoming matches promise to add to India's impressive performance at the tournament, showcasing the depth and talent of Indian archery on the international stage.
