Daijiworld Media Network - Bangkok
Bangkok, Mar 25: India kicked off their medal haul at the Asia Cup Archery Stage I with two bronze medals on Wednesday, thanks to stellar performances in the recurve women’s team and compound men’s team events at the SAT Football Stadium.
The Indian women’s recurve trio—Ruma Biswas, Kirti, and Ridhi—clinched a 5-1 victory over Malaysia to secure the podium finish. The team had earlier finished third in the qualification round with a combined score of 1915, led by Ruma’s 650, Kirti’s 638, and Ridhi’s 627. Their campaign included a 6-2 win against Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals before falling 5-1 to China in the semi-finals.
India’s second bronze came in the compound men’s team event, where Rajat Chauhan, Uday Kamboj, and Rishabh Yadav narrowly defeated Bhutan 234-232 in the playoff. The trio had beaten Chinese Taipei 238-228 in the quarter-finals but lost a tight semi-final to Vietnam 234-233. India’s men’s compound team topped the qualification stage with 2126 points, led by Rajat (712), Rishabh (708), and Uday (706), highlighting the nation’s depth in the discipline.
Looking ahead, India remains in contention across multiple categories. Mixed team events are scheduled for Thursday, featuring Indian pairs in both recurve and compound formats.
Further podium finishes are already in sight: the women’s compound team—Chikitha Taniparthi, Raj Kaur, and Tejal Rajendra Salve—and the men’s recurve team—Devaang Gupta, Sukhchain Singh, and Juyel Sarkar—have advanced to their gold medal matches against Kazakhstan on Friday.
In individual events, Tejal Rajendra Salve will compete for bronze in the women’s compound category. An all-Indian final in the men’s compound event is guaranteed, with Prathamesh Jawkar set to face Uday Kamboj. Rajat Chauhan also has a chance to add another medal if he wins his bronze match. Meanwhile, Ridhi Phor will contest for bronze in the women’s recurve event, though India will not feature in the men’s recurve individual medal rounds.
The 16-member Indian contingent—eight men and eight women—continues to showcase the country’s growing strength in archery on the international stage, with strong prospects for additional medals in the coming days.