Compound mixed team in final, India eyeing two World Cup gold

The compound mixed pair of Jyothi Surekha Vennam and her debutant partner Ojas Deotale showed perfect chemistry and cruised into the final with three easy wins to confirm a medal for India in the Archery World Cup Stage 1 here on Friday.

The duo defeated Malaysia's Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh and Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki 157-154 to set up a gold medal clash against 12th seed Chinese Taipei, slated on Saturday.

The Indian men's recurve team of Atanu Das, B Dhiraj and Tarundeep Rai will also fight for gold when they take on their Chinese counterparts on Sunday.

Also Read: Indian men's recurve team storm into World Cup final, to face China in gold medal clash

Dhiraj Bommadevara was one win away from a maiden World Cup individual medal in men's recurve section when he advanced into the semifinal with a 6-4 win over his senior Army colleague Tarundeep Rai.

India are also in contention for a medal in the women's compound individual section where former World Championship silver medallist Jyothi Surekha Vennam has advanced into the semi-final.

Jyothi and her 20-year-old partner Deotale, who got a bye into the second round after qualifying as second seed, began with some flawless shooting as they defeated Luxembourg and France dropping just one point.

Jyothi and Deotale missed the centre only once from 16 arrows as they shot 159 points out of a possible 160 in both the pre-quarters and quarters. Luxembourg scored 157, while France managed 156.

In the semis, the Malaysian duo put some pressure by levelling the Indians 39-all and 40-all in the first two ends.

But Mat Salleh and Mazuki faltered in the third end and managed just 37 points, shooting one 8 and 9, as the Indians snatched a two-point lead with a 39.

Maintaining their consistency, Jyothi and Deotale wrapped it up with another 39 in the final end.

Dhiraj one win away from maiden World Cup medal

The 21-year-old Dhiraj, who is lowly ranked 256th in the world, began his giant-killing act, ousting Rio Olympics bronze medalist Brady Ellison of USA 6-5 (28-29, 30-29, 28-28, 28-28, 29-29, 10*-10) in the men's recurve shoot-off.

The shoot-off was also a 10-all tie as Dhiraj edged out the American, hitting closer to the centre.

Dhiraj will face Dan Olaru of Moldova in the semi-final.

Recurve pair disappoints

There was disappointment in the recurve mixed pair section as the 11th seeded duo of Atanu Das and debutant Bhajan Kaur were eliminated in the first round by a lower-seeded Denmark 3-5 (37-36, 34-35, 35-35, 34-36).

Having taken a 2-0 lead, Das and his 17-year-old partner Bhajan conceded the second set, shooting twice in the red ring (8). In the third set also they were wayward with two 8s, as both teams were locked three-all.

Their inexperience came to fore as one among the duo misfired and hit the outer blue ring (six points), while another landed in the red ring as the Danish duo edged them out with a two-point win in the deciding fourth set.

Seasoned Indian and former world number one Deepika Kumari, along with the likes of Komalika Bari, Ridhi Phor, had failed to make the Indian recurve women's team that is low on experience.