India's recurve women's team, comprising Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and Kumkum Mohod, has won the World Cup gold in Shanghai, defeating China 5-4 in a shoot-off. This is India's first World Cup gold in recurve archery since 2021.
The Indian team, led by Deepika, held their nerve and edged past China's Zhu Jingyi, Huang Yuwei, and Yu Qi in a high-pressure final. Deepika, the country's most decorated archer, guided and encouraged her younger compatriots during matches, setting the tone for the final.
The team's coach, Prafull Dange, praised the team's performance, saying, 'They may work and train as hard as they can but if they don’t get the results, the confidence also doesn’t come. The morale among all the three is high after this.'
This gold holds significance not just because of the rarity and the rivals, but also who the Indians beat to get there and what’s to come later this year. The team will look back at these wins with confidence, especially with the upcoming Asian Games in September-October in Japan.
