Indian junior archers have made a significant impact at the Asia Cup Stage 2, securing spots in three team finals and demonstrating their prowess in both recurve and compound events. The tournament, held in Singapore, has been a platform for the young archers to showcase their skills and compete for medals.
In the team events, the men's recurve team, consisting of Vishnu Choudhary, Paras Hooda, and Juyel Sarkar, displayed remarkable teamwork and precision to defeat Bangladesh with a score of 5-1. Their victory has set up a final showdown against Japan, promising a thrilling contest for the gold medal. The men's compound team, comprising Kushal Dalal, Ganesh Thirumuru, and Mihir Apar, also secured a place in the final after a narrow victory over Australia, winning 30-29 in a tense shoot-off.
The women's compound team, featuring Shanmukhi Budde, Tejal Salve, and Tanishka Thokal, continued the strong performance by edging out Kazakhstan with a score of 230-229. Their advancement to the final guarantees India a medal in the event. However, the women's recurve team faced a setback, suffering a close 4-5 defeat against Japan.
In individual events, Indian archers have already made their mark. Kushal Dalal secured his place in the men's compound final with a 147-143 victory over Bangladesh's Himu Bachhar in the semi-final. However, Sachin Chechi, seeded 10th, lost his semi-final match against Australia's Joshua Machon and will compete for the bronze medal against Bachhar. The women's individual compound event is set to be an all-Indian affair, with top seed Shanmukhi Naga Sai Budde facing compatriot and second seed Tejal Salve in the final. Shanmukhi defeated Indonesia's Yurike Nina Bonita Pereira 145-139 in her semi-final, while Tejal overcame Malaysia's Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh with a 147-142 performance.
Earlier in the tournament, the Indian compound archers set two under-21 world records during the qualification round. The women's compound team of Shanmukhi, Tejal, and Tanishka Thokal scored 2101 points, setting a new team qualification world record. The mixed team duo of Kushal Dalal and Shanmukhi set another world record with a combined score of 1420 points, surpassing the previous record of 1419 held by the USA.
The finals promises exciting competition as the Indian archers aim to secure medals and further showcase their talent on the international stage. The gold medal matches and individual bronze medal matches are scheduled.
