While the recurve archers were disappointed in the team events, it was the compound archers who shone.
Jawkar, 19, showed nerves of steel as he knocked out the formidable eighth-seeded Korean archer with a narrow 149-148 win in the individual compound quarterfinals. Jawkar’s stunning performance earned him a place in the semi-finals, where he will face Robin Jaatma from Estonia.
Not to be outdone, 18-year-old Avneet created a stunning upset by beating Korea’s number one archer Oh Yoohyun in a thrilling shootout. With the two archers tied 142-142, Avneet showed her composure and precision to secure victory in the preliminary quarters.
In the quarter-finals, she continued her winning streak by defeating Dafne Quintero of Mexico with a score of 147-144. Avneet’s impressive performances set the stage for a semi-final clash against Ella Gibson from England.
Prathamesh and Avneet are now on the verge of winning their first individual World Cup medals. Their exceptional skill and resilience propelled them into the semi-finals, putting them one win away from this remarkable milestone.
As the young Indian duo continue their incredible journey, they testify to the growing prowess of Indian archery on the world stage.
Previously, it was a familiar scenario for Indian archers as they were knocked out by heavyweights Korea in the quarter-finals of the men’s recurve team events.
India’s trio of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Atanu Das and Neeraj Chauhan suffered a lopsided 0-6 (54-55, 56-57, 54-59) loss to top-ranked Korean side Lee Woo Seok, Kim Je Deok and Kim Woojin.
The eighth-seeded Indian men’s recurve team began their campaign with a hard-fought 5-3 (57-57, 56-58, 57-56, 58-51) win over Chinese Taipei.
The women’s trio of Simranjeet Kaur, Avneet Kaur and Ankita Bhakat, who earned the fourth seed in the team qualifier, put on a sloppy show to make a first-round exit.
They lost to lower-seeded Indonesia 1-5 (54-57, 57-57, 50-52) in a one-sided affair.
In the classic team events, India’s hopes will now rest on the mixed duo of Dhiraj Bommadevara and Simranjeet Kaur.
By finishing fifth in the playoffs, they earned a bye to the second round (pre-quarterfinals) in the classic mixed team draw of 32.
(With PTI inputs)
