Indian archers fail to secure any victories despite dismal performances at the 2025 Archery World Cup.
A Lay of Loose Arrows: India's Unfortunate Showdown at the Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 3
With high hopes, India's 16-strong archery squad sauntered into the Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 3 in Antalya, only to depart with empty pockets and a touch of disappointment. The team, who had bagged a respectable seven medals, including two golds, at the previous stage in Shanghai, struggled to secure a single podium finish in Antalya.
The Fall of Star Archers
Among the hard-hitting defeats was four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari, who succumbed 6-0 to Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion An San of South Korea in the recurve event's second round. Parth Salunkhe, bronze medallist from Shanghai, and Tarundeep Rai, another seasoned Olympian, failed to advance beyond the first round in the individual recurve event. In a closely contested quarter-final, Simranjeet Kaur showed promising signs, leading 5-3 at one point against An San. However, a wobble in the fifth set allowed the Korean to equalize, and a nail-biting shoot-off handed the win to An San by a 6-5 scoreline.
A Shot in the Dark
In the compound archery events, the reigning Asian Games champion Jyothi Surekha Vennam fell to Estonia's Meeri-Marita Paas 152-150 in the second round. Madhura Dhamangaonkar, who'd won the women's individual compound gold in Shanghai last month, was defeated by Mexico's Mariana Bernal 159-152 in the quarterfinals. Similarly, the reigning women's world champion Aditi Swami was bested by Mexico's Andrea Becerra 152-147 in the same stage, raising concerns about mental resilience and team strategies as the Asian Games draw near.
Lessons Learned, Lessons Lost
The inability to convert leads into wins, as seen in Dhiraj Bommadevara and Simranjeet Kaur's matches, highlighted the need for mental fortitude under pressure. The team's failure to replicate their Shanghai performance underscored the importance of consistent form and better team strategies. As the archers prepare for their next battle, the stakes have never been higher—they'll need to shake off the dust of Antalya and aim for redemption.
Sources
- Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 3: India's Disappointing Campaign [Archery Focus, Jun. 8, 2025]
- India's Archery Team Fails to Secure Podium Finishes in Antalya [The Tribune, Jun. 7, 2025]
- India's Medals Tally at the Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 3 [Olympics.com, Jun. 7, 2025]
News: The disappointing performances in Antalya have raised concerns about mental resilience and team strategies ahead of the Asian Games.Opinion: Indian archers struggled to replicate their success from Shanghai and will need to address their issues under pressure to secure wins in future competitions.
Games: Simranjeet Kaur showed promise in the recurve event's quarter-final, leading 5-3 against An San, but ultimately lost the shoot-off by a 6-5 scoreline.Sports: In the compound archery events, Madhura Dhamangaonkar was defeated by Mexico's Mariana Bernal in the quarterfinals, and Aditi Swami was bested by Mexico's Andrea Becerra in the same stage.
