India wrapped up a successful campaign at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai with a total of seven medals, including two in the recurve category from veterans Deepika Kumari and rising star Parth Salunkhe on the final day of the event.
Deepika, 30, showed her experience by claiming her 12th individual and 31st overall World Cup medal. After a tough 1-7 semifinal loss to reigning Olympic champion Lim Sihyeon of Korea, Deepika bounced back in the bronze medal match, defeating former World Champion Kang Chae-young 7-3 in a closely contested bout. Her scores of 27-27, 28-27, 27-30, 30-29, and 29-28 underlined her consistency and nerve under pressure.
In the men’s recurve individual competition, 21-year-old Parth Salunkhe impressed with his composure and grit. Though he narrowly lost to Olympic champion Kim Woojin of Korea in the semifinals 4-6, Parth secured his maiden World Cup medal with a well-fought 6-4 win over France’s Baptiste Addis. The Indian archer showed maturity beyond his years, especially in the deciding set where he edged out Addis 29-28.
India’s overall medal tally in Shanghai stood at two golds, one silver, and four bronzes. Besides Deepika’s and Parth’s bronze in recurve, the majority of India’s medals came from the compound category, which continues to be a stronghold for the country.
Madhura Dhamangaonkar led the charge in the compound events, winning gold in the women’s individual competition and teaming up with Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Chikitha Taniparthi to claim silver in the women’s team event. Madhura also bagged a bronze with Abhishek Verma in the compound mixed team event, a discipline set to debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The men’s compound team of Abhishek Verma, Rishabh Yadav, and Ojas Deotale added another gold to the tally, reinforcing India’s depth in the format. Rishabh also secured an individual bronze, rounding out the country’s stellar performance.
With the next stage of the World Cup scheduled for June 3-8 in Antalya, Turkey, Indian archers will aim to build on this momentum as they continue their preparations for the Paris Olympics and beyond.
