Shanghai: Madhura Dhamangaonkar capped her dream comeback with a maiden individual gold medal, and the Indian men’s compound team added another gold as India signed off with a rich medal haul at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 here on Saturday.
Unranked in the World Archery standings due to a three-year hiatus, the 24-year-old Mumbai archer stunned USA’s Carson Krahe 139-138 in a dramatic final to clinch her first-ever World Cup individual title. Trailing 81-85 after a costly seven in the third end, Madhura staged a brilliant comeback with a near-flawless fourth end to draw level at 110-all.
She then held her nerve in the decider, shooting two Xs (perfect 10s) and a 9 to edge past Krahe by a single point, capping off her return to the international stage in spectacular fashion.
This was Madhura’s third medal of the tournament, following a silver in the women’s team event and a bronze in the mixed team event alongside Abhishek Verma.
Adding to India’s medal tally, the men’s compound team of Verma, Ojas Deotale and Rishabh Yadav delivered a composed performance to defeat Mexico 232-228 in a tense final. After taking a narrow 59-57 lead in the opening end, India held steady through the match, sealing victory with a superb 59 in the final end.
In the women’s compound team final, the Indian trio of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Madhura Dhamangaonkar and Chikitha Taniparthi had to settle for silver after a 221-234 loss to a strong Mexican side. Despite the one-sided final, the team showed consistency through the tournament.
India’s campaign concluded with a bronze in the mixed team event, where Verma and Madhura edged past Malaysia in a low-scoring playoff to secure the final spot on the podium.
Madhura, who last appeared at the 2022 Archery World Cup Stage 4 in Medellin, has marked her return with a performance that underlines the growing strength and depth of Indian compound archery.
With compound archery set to debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in the mixed team category, India’s consistent showings on the World Cup stage are a promising sign for its Olympic aspirations.
