Jyothi Surekha Vennam shines as India ends Archery World Cup 2025 stage 4 with three medals
India finished their Archery World Cup 2025 campaign with a total of 14 medals, comprising three golds, across the four stages. Asian Games champion Vennam settled for a silver medal after putting up a valiant fight in the women's compound individual event. In a contest that went right down to the wire, Vennam fell short against Great Britain's Ella Gibson, as the final concluded with a 148-147 scoreline.
Vennam trailed by two points as the final headed into the final round. She upped the ante and struck a perfect 30, but it remained insufficient. The British archer put her precision on exhibition and managed 29 to return home with gold.
India's Parneer Kaur, who suffered a defeat against Gibson, missed her shot at the podium. Republic of Korea's Han Seungyeon overwhelmed the Indian in the bronze medal playoff with a 146-143 victory. Vennam trounced Seungyeon 144-143 in her semi-final encounter to earn a shot at the gold.
Meanwhile, in the women's compound team event, India's troika of Vennam, Parneet and 16-year-old Prithika Pradeep bagged the silver medal after going down against Chinese Taipei by 227-225 in the final.
The Indian team was en route to gold after enjoying a two-point lead after the end of the second round. But Chinese Taipei amped the pressure and reduced the deficit to one after the third round, before completely turning the tables in the final.
Vennam continued to be at the forefront of India's medals. Along with Rishabh Yadav, she bagged a bronze medal in the mixed team compound event after orchestrating a victory over El Salvador's Paola Corado and Douglas Vladimir Nolasco 156-153. The Indian duo lost to the Netherlands, the eventual gold medallists, in the semi-finals and fought for the bronze medal against El Salvador.
The Indian men's team's campaign concluded in the quarter-finals, with Rishabh, Aman Saini, and Priyansh failing to earn a spot beyond the second round in the individual competition. India's entire recurve contingent disappointed, returning empty-handed in the tournament.
Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat's campaign concluded in the opening round. Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai, both four-time Olympians, followed the same path and crashed out in the opening round of the individual women's and men's events, respectively. (ANI)
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