India bag compound mixed team gold

Auburndale (USA), April 13: A few days after compound archery was included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the Indian team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Rishabh Yadav claimed the gold medal in the Compound Mixed Team event in the 2025 Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Florida, USA, on Saturday. This was the first compound mixed team medal match of the 2025 Archery World Cup.
The Indian team got the better of the Chinese Taipei pair of Huang I-Jou and Chen Chien-lun 153-151 in a hard-fought gold medal match on Saturday morning.
The Indian pair of former World Cup winner Jyothi Surekha and Rishabh came back after losing the first End, which includes each archer shooting two arrows (four in all in case of mixed doubles), 37-38 as they managed two scores of 9 and two 10s. Their rivals shot two nines and arrows in the inner 10 circle (X).
The Indians lost the second End 38-39 and were trailing 75-77 overall, despite scoring three 10s as an 8 pulled them down. The Chinese Taipei pair shot X,10,10, X to win the End.
In the third End, the Indian pair of Jyothi and Rishabh got the better of the Chinese Taipei pair 39-38 to close the gap to 113-115. The Indians went from strength to strength in the fourth and final End, with scores of 9,10,10, X while the Chinese Taipei pair faltered and could manage scores of 9, 9, 8, X. The Indians won the End 39-36 to win the gold medal match 153-151 and cemented their dominance in this discipline.
Vennam and Yadav were exceptionally precise in the semifinal, too. The Indian pair shot 156 against Spain and Denmark, whose line-up included Indoor World Series Champion Tanja Gellenthien and world number two Mathias Fullerton – and then posted an incredible 159 in the semifinal against Slovenia, just one off a perfect score.
For Yadav, Saturday’s final marks a major milestone: he has yet to win an Archery World Cup medal, as he and powerhouse India build toward LA28
India settle for silver in men’s recurve team event
India clinched a silver medal in the men’s recurve team event after the trio of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Atanu Das went down 1-5 to China in the final, here on Sunday.
This was India’s third medal of the season-opening event, with a fourth one still in sight as Dhiraj remained in contention in the men’s recurve individual event slated later in the day.
Earlier, India had secured a gold in the compound mixed team event and a bronze in compound men’s team.
Abhishek Verma narrowly missed out on a podium, finishing fourth in the compound men’s individual section.
In the recurve team gold medal clash, both India and China began evenly, sharing the first set 1-1 with identical scores of 54.
The Indian trio had two 10s and two 9s, but faltered with a pair of 8s that proved costly.
The Chinese team of Li Zhongyuan, Kao Wenchao, and Wang Yan stepped up in the second set, hitting four 10s to take a 3-1 lead.
India, meanwhile, again slipped into the red ring with another 8, losing the set 55-58.
Needing to win the third set to stay alive, the Indian team once again stumbled, managing only 54 as China edged them out 55-54 to seal the gold. China also bagged the bronze. (Agencies)