New Delhi, June 4(HS): The recent success of young archer Parth Salunkhe has infused new energy into Indian archery. After winning his first World Cup medal at Stage-2 in Shanghai, the 21-year-old Parth is now ready to showcase his talent at Stage-3 starting Wednesday in Antalya. Defeating the Tokyo Champion and Korean Giant Hailing from Satara in Maharashtra, Parth surprised everyone with his stellar performance in Shanghai. He defeated Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz in a shoot-off during the first round and then bested two-time Olympic team gold medalist Korean player Kim Je-Diok in the quarterfinals in straight sets. In the semifinals, he returned from a 0-4 deficit against Korean giant Kim Woo-Jin to level the score at 4-4, but ultimately lost in a closely contested final set.
Nevertheless, he secured his first World Cup medal by defeating Paris Olympic silver medalist Baptiste Adelaide in the bronze medal match. Parth Unshaken Under Pressure Although Parth ranked last among Indian archers at 60th place in the qualification round, he exhibited remarkable mental strength in the elimination round. According to him, My focus was not just on the medal; I wanted to see if I could implement what I had practiced. Team India’s Eyes on a Medal in Antalya This inspiring success of Parth has also motivated the Indian men’s recurve team, which includes Tarundeep Rai, Atanu Das, and Dhiraj Bommadevara. The team, which missed out on a medal by losing to the USA in the bronze medal playoff in Shanghai, aims for a comeback in Antalya.
Deepika’s Comeback and the Compound Team’s Brilliance In the women’s category, Deepika Kumari made a remarkable comeback after becoming a mother. She won bronze in Shanghai and lost to Korean Lim Sihyun in the semifinals. Deepika now has her eyes set on her first World Cup gold, which she last won in 2021. India secured a total of seven medals (2 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze) in Shanghai, finishing second after Korea. India dominated in the compound category, where Madhura Dhammangavkar won individual gold, and the team of Ojas Deotale, Rishabh Yadav, and Abhishek Verma also clinched gold.
Indian Team – For Antalya Recurve Men: Dhiraj Bommadevara, Parth Salunkhe, Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai Recurve Women: Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhagat, Simranjeet Kaur, Anshika Kumari Compound Men: Abhishek Verma, Rishabh Yadav, Ojas Deotale, Uday Kamboj Compound Women: Jyoti Surekha Vennam, Madhura Dhammangavkar, Chikitha Taniparthi, Aditi Swami.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
