Archery World Cup: Atanu Das, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Tarundeep Rai clinch recurve team silver

India’s Atanu Das, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Tarundeep Rai won the recurve team silver medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 on Sunday in Antalya, Turkey.

The Indians lost 4-5 in a thrilling final against the Chinese team of Li Zhongyuan, Qi Xiangshuo and Wei Shaoxuan.

The trio started the match with a solid 54 in the first set but the Chinese went one point better. The second set saw an erratic set of arrows from the Indians as they lost it 50-56 and went down 0-4 on the scoreboard. They were effectively an arrow away from losing in the third set but a sensational 59 saw them edge China by a point in a high-scoring set.

In the fourth set, China were again a 9 away from a win but an 8 meant the Indians prevailed for another two points. It took the final to a three-arrow shoot-off. While the Indians and Chinese both shot 29, China had a X that was closest to the center.

The Indian men’s recurve team had produced a solid run of results on Thursday to reach the gold medal match. After a shoot-off win against Japan in the second round and a 6-2 win against Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals, the team reached the semi-final where they took on the Netherlands. The Dutch had eliminated top seeds Turkey (who had Olympic champion Mete Gazoz) in the quarter-final.

But after dropping the opening set in the semi-final, the Indians bounced back against the Netherlands to win the tie 6-2 and seal their place on the podium.

Das, who missed the cut for the Indian team last year, made it to the squad after finishing second in the recurve trials held in Sonepat, Haryana in February. He led the charge in the qualification for recurve, earning the fourth seeding overall.

Later in the day, Dhiraj will be in action in the individual recurve event, competing in the semi-final first and later in a medal match. No other Indian made it to the final four in the individual recurve events.

On Saturday, in the compound finals, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Pravin Deotale won mixed team gold while Jyothi also won the individual gold.