India Shines at Archery World Cup 2024 in Antalya

Dhiraj Bommadevara's Dual Bronze Success

22-year-old Dhiraj Bommadevara emerged as a standout performer for India at the Archery World Cup 2024 Stage 3 in Antalya, Turkey, securing two bronze medals in recurve events. In the individual recurve playoff, Bommadevara, who has already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeated Italy's Olympic medalist Mauro Nespoli with a score of 7-3. His journey to the bronze saw him face tough competition from two-time Olympic gold medalist Kim Woojin of South Korea in the semifinals.

Bommadevara's success continued in the mixed recurve event, where he partnered with Bhajan Kaur. The duo clinched bronze by overcoming the Mexican pair of Alejandra Valencia and Matias Grande with a score of 5-3 in the playoff match.

Adding to India's medal tally, 21-year-old Priyansh secured a silver in the men's individual compound event. He faced stiff competition from World No. 1 Mike Schloesser of the Netherlands in the final, ultimately finishing second but showcasing his potential on the international stage.

Women's Team Dominance

The Indian women's compound team continued their remarkable winning streak at the Antalya event. The trio of Aditi Swami, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, and Parneet Kaur secured their third consecutive gold medal of the season, triumphing over the Estonian team in the final.

This victory marks an impressive run for the team:

• Third gold in the 2024 World Cup series (following wins in Shanghai and Yecheon)
• Fourth straight World Cup Stage gold (including their 2023 Stage 4 victory in Paris)

Their consistent performance underscores India's growing prowess in compound archery on the global stage.

Archery World Cup 2024 Overview

The Antalya event, held from June 18-23, 2024, was the third stage of the 18th Archery World Cup. The tournament structure for 2024 includes four stages:

• Stage 1: April 23-28, Shanghai, China
• Stage 2: May 21-26, Yecheon, South Korea
• Stage 3: June 18-23, Antalya, Turkey
• Final: October 19-20, Tlaxcala, Mexico

Organized by World Archery, the global governing body for archery, this annual competition serves as a crucial platform for athletes to gain international experience and measure themselves against top global competitors.

Significance of India's Performance

India's success at the Antalya World Cup stage, finishing with a total of four medals (one gold, one silver, and two bronze), highlights the country's growing strength in archery. The performances across different events and categories demonstrate the depth of talent and the effectiveness of India's archery programs.

As the archery world looks ahead to the 2024 Paris Olympics, these results bode well for India's medal prospects. For young archers like Bommadevara and Priyansh, these achievements will boost confidence and provide valuable experience for future challenges.

The consistent success of the women's compound team, in particular, reinforces their world-class status and sets high expectations for future competitions. As the archery season progresses, all eyes will be on the Indian team to see if they can maintain this momentum and potentially improve their medal tally at the World Cup Final in Tlaxcala, Mexico, later this year.