Indian trio of Deepika, Ankita, Kumkum win gold at Archery World Cup

The Indian women's recurve team of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Kumkum Mohod clinched gold at the Archery World Cup in Shanghai, defeating China in a dramatic shoot-off after the final was locked 4-4. Minister Mansukh Mandaviya praised them.

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the Indian women's recurve team of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Kumkum Mohod for clinching the gold medal at the Archery World Cup 2026 in Shanghai on Sunday.

The fourth-seeded Indian trio defeated the second-seeded People's Republic of China team of Zhu Jingyi, Huang Yuwei and Yu Qi 28-26 in a dramatic shoot-off after the contest was locked 4-4 at the end of four sets, as per Olympics.com.

Mansukh Mandaviya, in an X post, praised Deepika, Ankita and Kumkum for their outstanding performance in winning gold at the World Cup, saying their determination and excellence made the nation proud.

"Golden Grit, Fearless Spirit, Podium Finish! Heartiest congratulations to Deepika, Ankita, and Kumkum for clinching Gold at Archery World Cup Stage 2. Your brilliance and determination have made the entire nation proud," said Mandavia in his X post.

Dramatic Final and Path to Victory

Ankita Bhakat, who finished fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the mixed team event with Dhiraj Bommadevara, opened the shoot-off with a 9 before Kumkum followed with a 10. With 8 needed to seal the win, four-time Olympian Deepika shot a 9 to complete the victory.

The gold medal marked the 39th Archery World Cup podium finish for Deepika Kumari, the eighth for Ankita Bhakat and the maiden World Cup medal for Kumkum Mohod.

Earlier, in the women's recurve team semi-finals, India produced a commanding performance to stun 10-time Olympic champions and top seeds South Korea 5-1.

India's Overall Medal Haul

India wrapped up the Archery World Cup 2026 campaign with two medals, with Sahil Jadhav adding to the tally by clinching bronze in the men's individual compound event on Saturday.

Jadhav defeated Denmark's Martin Damsbo 147-144 in the bronze-medal playoff to claim his maiden Archery World Cup medal. Trailing 30-29 after the opening end, Jadhav staged a steady comeback over the next four ends to seal an impressive victory.

Meanwhile, Simranjeet Kaur narrowly missed out on a bronze medal on Sunday after suffering a 6-4 defeat to Jang Minhee of the Republic of Korea, a former world champion and Olympic team gold medallist. (ANI)

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