Indian compound archers win three medals

Madrid: India grabbed three medals at the Archery World Cup Stage in Madrid on Saturday with Jyothi Surekha Vennam playing a part in all of them.

India opened its account with a silver in the women’s compound team event but the result again spotlighted its struggles in crunch moments.

The top-seeded trio of Jyothi, Parneet Kaur, and 16-year-old debutant Prithika Pradeep, who led the qualification round with 2116 points, seemed poised for gold after taking a slender 170-169 lead into the final end.

But a nervy finish saw them slip to a 225-227 defeat against Chinese Taipei, which held its nerve to close with a near-flawless 58. India, in contrast, managed just 55, undone by a costly 7 and signs of pressure that have become all too familiar.

The two teams were tied 57-all after the first end, before India edged ahead 58-56 in the second and led 115-113. A dropped 8 in the third end narrowed the gap to 170-169, but it still had the edge going into the final end — only to falter at the line.

The loss once again highlighted the team’s mental fragility in tight finishes and underscored the absence of a seasoned guiding hand since compound coach Sergio Pagni’s departure post the 2022 Asian Games — a void still unfilled.

Alongside Rishabh Yadav, Jyothi won a bronze medal in the mixed team event. The duo took down El Salvador’s Paola Corado and Douglas Vladimir Nolasco 156-153.

Jyothi also grabbed a silver medal in the individual competition after a 147-148 loss to Britain’s Ella Gibson in the final while Parneet suffered a 143-146 defeat against Korea’s Han Seungyeon in the bronze medal match. IANS

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