India’s outing at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Antalya was filled with thrilling contests, heartbreakingly close losses, and yet another frustrating trend — a series of fourth-place finishes. Despite promising performances across the compound and recurve team events, the Indian squads returned without a medal, narrowly missing the podium in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Compound Men’s Team: Out in the First Round
The compound men’s team of Abhishek Verma, Ojas Deotale, and Rishabh Yadav faced an early exit in the Round of 16 after a surprising loss to Chinese Taipei. Despite holding a five-point lead going into the final series, India faltered under pressure.
Final Score: Chinese Taipei 242 – 241 India
The critical difference came in the last series when the Taipei trio shot a near-perfect 63, while India dropped four 9s — a shocking turn under the new rule where 11s are now counted as bonus points. The narrow one-point defeat highlighted how small margins can decide high-stakes encounters.
Compound Women’s Team: Agonising Bronze Medal Loss
India’s compound women’s team — Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Madhura Pramod, and Chikitha Rajendran — had a strong tournament run, reaching the semifinals after an impressive performance in the quarters.
Quarterfinals
India 240 – 236 Great Britain
A composed display saw the Indian trio edge out GB, thanks to consistency in the mid-rounds and confident finishes.
Semifinals
India 234 – 242 Korea
Up against second-seeded Korea, India faltered under sustained scoring pressure. Korea’s 58+ average per end proved too hot to handle.
Bronze Medal Match
India 238 – 239 USA
In what turned out to be one of the closest matches of the event, India lost the bronze medal by a single point to USA. Despite consistent 10s throughout, a stray 9 in the final round made all the difference. India’s bronze medal drought in compound team events continues, with yet another fourth-place finish — a painful repeat of recent trends.
Recurve Men’s Team: One Step Short Again
The Indian recurve men’s team of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Atanu Das, and Parth Salunkhe entered the competition as the 5th seed and showed excellent matchplay through the early rounds.
Round of 12: Bye
India was pre-seeded directly into the Round of 16.
Round of 16
India 6 – 0 Uzbekistan
The trio started strong with a clean 6-0 sweep against Uzbekistan, displaying excellent synchrony and grouping.
Quarterfinals
India 6 – 2 Kazakhstan
A steady performance ensured India progressed to the semis, dropping just one set along the way.
Semifinals
India 0 – 6 Korea
Facing the formidable Korean team, India had no answers to their precision. The Koreans won all three sets convincingly, exposing the gap in class and execution.
Bronze Medal Match
India 1 – 5 France
A disappointing finish for India as they lost out on the bronze. While they managed to draw one set, France’s superior average score per arrow ensured the Indian team was always chasing.
Recurve Women’s Team: Upset Run Ends in Quarters
A low-seeded but determined Indian recurve women’s team — Bhajan Kaur, Simranjeet Kaur, and Ankita Bhakat — started from the Round of 12.
Round of 12: Bye
Round of 16
India 6 – 2 Ukraine
In an impressive performance, the Indian women stunned the higher-ranked Ukrainian team with sharp shooting, especially in the anchor role.
Quarterfinals
India 1 – 5 USA
However, the momentum did not carry through. The Americans proved to be a class apart, consistently hitting 10s under pressure. Despite their best efforts, India only managed to steal one set before bowing out.
Summary of India’s Team Results – Antalya 2025
Takeaways and Talking Points
- Close Finishes Cost India Medals: Both compound teams lost by 1-point margins in crunch moments. With better composure in the final series, the medal tally could have looked very different.
- Positive Signs in Recurve: The men’s recurve team reached another semifinal, showing growing consistency in elite competitions. However, closing out big matches remains a hurdle.
- Debut Impact: Chikitha Rajendran impressed on her first major international team outing, playing a critical role in India’s run to the bronze medal match.
- 11-Point Arrows Rule: The rule change awarding an 11 for the most central shots (X) added a new layer of scoring complexity. India must adapt quickly as it continues to affect match outcomes.
The Road Ahead
India’s fourth-place finishes in Antalya will sting, but they also reflect the closeness of global competition. With better finishing and sharper mental resilience in the final ends, this team can make the leap from fourth to podium.
The World Cup circuit moves on to mixed and individual matches, but for India, the focus must now shift to maintaining consistency, deepening bench strength, and managing match pressure better — especially with the Asian Championships and World Championships looming large.
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