Mumbai: The Indian women’s recurve archery team defeated a Korean side comprising the world No. 1 and two newcomers to storm into the final of the Shanghai World Cup on Thursday and confirm a medal.
The trio of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod were clinical in their 5-1 semi-final victory over Kang Chaeyoung, Lee Yunji and Oh Yejin.
While Chaeyoung is the reigning individual world champion who was part of Korea’s Tokyo Olympics gold-winning team, Yunji, 24, and Yejin, 22, are ranked 281 and 361 in the world, respectively. Yejin is the 2023 world youth champion. This was Yunji’s first international outdoor event.
More significantly from an Indian viewpoint, the same three women have been named to represent Korea at this year’s Asian Games from their national team trials held last month.
This win, therefore, could give the Indians a shot of confidence keeping in mind the crucial continental event, in which Korea took gold and India the bronze in Hangzhou in 2023.
Although sporadically, Indians have increasingly started to breach the Korean wall that was once considered unbreakable in recurve archery. At the Asian Championships late last year, the men’s recurve team went past Korea in the final to clinch gold, and Ankita defeated Paris Olympics silver medallist Nam Su-hyeon in the women’s final. At the youth level too, Indian youngsters have tasted wins against Koreans.
For someone like Kumkum, the teen who is only competing in her second senior World Cup alongside her senior teammates, this result could carry greater weight.
The Indian trio began the semi-final confidently, taking the first set 58-55 after shooting four 10s even as Korea shot an 8. The second set was more even, with both sides shooting an 8, a couple of 9s and splitting a point at 56-56. India bounced back well in the third set, firing four 10s again compared to Korea’s four 9s to take the set 58-56 and the match.
India will play hosts China in the final on Sunday for the gold. They had earlier beaten Uzbekistan 6-2 in the first round and Vietnam 5-4 in the quarter-finals.
The Indian men’s team, on the other hand, suffered a crushing defeat to Bangladesh in the second round. The trio of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai and Yashdeep Bhoge went down 6-2 after receiving a first-round bye.
