Youngster Rishabh Yadav’s bronze medal was the saving grace on a disappointing day for Indian compound archers at the World Games in Chengdu on Saturday (August 9,. 2025) as the top-seeded combined workforce crashed out within the opening spherical.
None of the ladies contenders might make it to the rostrum, including to the gloom.
Yadav, seeded tenth, produced a flawless show to beat senior teammate and a number of World Cup gold medallist Abhishek Verma 149-147 within the males’s particular person compound bronze medal match.
Verma, who certified as the fifth seed, trailed by one level after the primary finish (29-30) as Yadav opened with three good 10s.
The second finish was tied at 29-all, however Yadav maintained his slim benefit. Both archers shot three good 10s within the third finish, earlier than Yadav capitalised on a single-point drop by Verma within the fourth to stretch his result in 119-117.
Maintaining his composure, the 22-year-old Yadav drilled three extra arrows into the 10-ring within the remaining finish to seal the win with out dropping a single level in his final 9 arrows.
In the semifinals, Yadav had misplaced 145-147 to American Curtis Lee Broadnax whereas Verma went down 145-148 to prime seed Mike Schloesser of the Netherlands.
India’s problem within the ladies’s particular person compound part ended within the quarterfinals.
Parneet Kaur, twelfth seed, was overwhelmed 140-145 by Colombia’s fourth seed Alejandra Usquiano, whereas third seed Madhura Dhamangaonkar misplaced 145-149 to Estonia’s sixth seed Lisell Jaatma.
Mixed workforce concern
The largest disappointment, nevertheless, got here within the combined compound occasion. Having topped the qualification spherical, the Indian pair of Verma and Madhura entered as favourites however succumbed to their acquainted nemesis, South Korea, within the very first spherical.
The duo misplaced 151-154 to Moon Yeeun and Lee Eunho, bringing curtains on the Indian marketing campaign. No one is competing within the recurve class.
The Koreans edged the primary finish 38-37 earlier than stepping on the fuel with an ideal second finish, whereas the Indians faltered with a 27 to fall 4 factors behind.
The third finish was tied 37-37, and though the Indians edged the ultimate finish 40-39, it was too late.
The consequence was significantly alarming given the eight-team draw required simply two wins to safe a medal, and with the combined compound workforce occasion set to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, the early exit uncovered each pressure-handling points and tactical shortcomings that has ailed the Indian archers at the very best stage.
Denmark’s Mathias Fullerton and Sofie Louise Dam Marcussen gained the compound combined workforce title, beating Mexico 156-155.
This competitors set the stage for one thing a lot larger; the debut of the compound combined workforce competitors at the LA28 Olympic Games in three years, and the Danish compound elite are itching to be part of it.
“The Olympics opens up so many things for funding and stuff like that,” Fullerton told World Archery website.
“And now we have actually proved that we will do it. Denmark is a small nation, however top-of-the-line there may be. So I’m tremendous glad that we bought to point out it right here.”
