Indian archers Deepika Kumari and Parth Salunkhe delivered stellar performances at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai, securing bronze medals in their respective recurve categories.
Deepika Kumari’s 12th Individual Medal
Veteran archer Deepika Kumari clinched her 12th individual World Cup medal after defeating Kang Chaeyoung of South Korea in the bronze medal match with a 7-3 victory. Deepika showcased her experience and composure, delivering perfect final sets of 30 and 29 points, denying South Korea a clean sweep in the category.
Earlier, she faced a tough semi-final loss (1-7) against Paris Olympic champion Lim Sihyeon, missing out on her fifth individual World Cup title. Despite the setback, Deepika’s resilience ensured India’s first medal of the year in women’s recurve archery.
Parth Salunkhe’s Maiden World Cup Medal
U21 World Champion Parth Salunkhe secured his first-ever World Cup medal, defeating Paris Olympic medallist Baptiste Addis of France in a closely contested bronze medal match (6-4).
Parth had a challenging start, losing to South Korea’s Kim Woo Jin in the semi-finals (4-6) after a dramatic comeback attempt. However, he held his nerve in the bronze medal match, scoring two consecutive 10s in the final set to seal victory.
India’s Medal Tally at Shanghai World Cup
India concluded the Shanghai World Cup with an impressive seven-medal haul, including:
- Gold: Madhura Dhamangaonkar (Women’s Individual Compound), Men’s Compound Team (Ojas Deotale, Abhishek Verma, Rishabh Yadav)
- Silver: Women’s Compound Team (Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi, Madhura Dhamangaonkar)
- Bronze: Mixed Team Compound (Abhishek Verma & Madhura Dhamangaonkar), Deepika Kumari (Women’s Individual Recurve), Parth Salunkhe (Men’s Individual Recurve), Rishabh Yadav (Men’s Individual Compound).
With these victories, India continues to strengthen its presence in international archery, setting the stage for the next World Cup stage in Antalya, Turkey, from June 3-8.
