On Saturday, the Indian men’s compound archery team came back from a two-point deficit to win gold in two World Cup stages by beating France by two points in a dramatic conclusion. Abhishek Verma, Aman Saini, and Rajat Chauhan’s fourth-seeded men’s team trailed their sixth-seeded opponents in the opening two ends of a replay of the Stage 1 final.
But, because of a flawless finish in the third end, the trio won the World Cup Stage 2 gold with a score of 232-230 over their French rivals Adrien Gontier, Jean Philippe Boulch, and Quentin Baraer.
The same Indian trio upset France by one point in the last World Cup final in Antalya in April.
In the mixed team event, star Indian compound archer Verma and Avneet Kaur pipped higher-seeded Turkish compound archers American Haney and Ayse Bera Suzer 156-155 to take bronze.
Following a team bronze in the women’s event, this was Kaur’s second bronze medal.
The sixth-seeded Indian couple trailed by two points in the second end (77-79) after its fourth-seeded opponents shot four tens, including three Xs (closer to the center).
Verma and Kaur cut the deficit to one point in the third end, shooting 39/40, and finished with a flawless fourth end — four 10s and one X.
