Archery world cup: Compound team to fight for bronze

The Indian compound mixed team entered the bronze medal match while Deepika Kumari and Parth Sushant Salunkhe made it to the women’s and men’s recurve individual semifinals of the World Cup Stage 2 here on Friday.

Madhura Dhamangaonkar and Abhishek Verma lost 156-158 to Ella Gibson and Ajay Scott of Great Britain in the compound mixed team semifinals. The Indian archers lost the opening and third series — 38-39 and 39-40 — while they were tied 40-40 and 39-39 in the second and fourth series. Dhamangaonkar and Verma will face Malaysia, who lost to Turkey 156-157, in the bronze medal match on Saturday.

In the individual men’s recurve competition, Salunkhe stunned Tokyo Olympics gold medallist and Paris Games bronze winner Mete Gazoz 6-5 in the shoot-off in the first round. He then overcame Aoshima Tetsuya of Japan with an identical margin before defeating Ryan Tyack of Australia 6-2. In the quarterfinal, Salunkhe beat Kim Je Deok of South Korea 6-2. Atanu Das lost in the quarterfinals.

In the women’s section, Deepika began with a 6-4 win over Lucia Ibanez Romero of Spain and then defeated Diana Tursunbek of Kazakhstan 6-0 before prevailing over Victoria Sebastian of France 6-4. In the quarterfinals, Deepika beat Li Jiaman of China 6-2. Ankita Bhakat lost in the pre-quarterfinals.

On Saturday, India will also feature in the two gold medal matches. The compound women’s team of Madhura, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Chikitha Taniparthi faces Mexico in the final and the compound men’s team of Verma, Rishabh Yadav and Ojas Pravin Deotale is also up against Mexico.

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