India clinch gold in compound team event

In the first major competition after last year’s Rio Olympics, the recurve archers failed to make much progress with Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari making quarterfinal exits in their respective rounds. 

But it was the non-Olympic compound section that brought back smiles in the camp with a superlative show from fourth seeded Abhishek Verma, Raju Chinna Srither and debutant Amanjeet Singh. Competing as a team for the first time, India defeated 10th seeded Colombia’s Camilo Cardona, Daniel Munoz and Jose Carlos Ospina 226-221 in a one-sided final on Saturday. 

Earlier, the fourth seeded ousted Vietnam, World Champions Iran and topranked USA to make the finals against Colombia. “Before coming here, we planned every detail to make it work. We all shot well throughout week and what we really want is to create a good impression of us in front of other teams,” Verma said after winning his first team gold, and second overall in the World Cup.

Verma had a heartbreak in store in the afternoon session when he along with Jyoth Surekha Vennam lost the bronze playoff to Reo Wilde and Jamie van Natta 151-153.

Verma has previously won an individual gold in the World Cup Stage 3 Wroclaw-2015. The Colombian trio of Cardona, Ospina and Munoz were no match for the Indians, who began with four perfect 10s including one closest to the centre to open up a 58-57 lead in the first end. 

With yet another four perfect 10s including one X from a possible six, the Indian team clinched the second end 58-56 to stretch their lead to three points (116-113).