Deepika Kumari And Parth Salunkhe Lead India's Podium Charge At Archery World Cup Stage 2

Shanghai, China (Sunday): India's archery team concluded their campaign at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 with a flourish, securing seven medals including two from the recurve section. Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari salvaged her pride with a bronze medal after a semi-final heartbreak, while Parth Salunkhe added to his growing reputation by finishing on the podium for the first time.

The Indian team's resurgence was bolstered by three medal winners in the compound section, led by Madhura Dhamangankar's historic triple-medal haul. However, it was Deepika and Parth who stole the show in the recurve section with their respective bronze medals.

Deepika Kumari began her campaign under a cloud after dropping to Korean Lim Sihyeon 1-7 in a semi-final loss at the same stage last year. But she bounced back from that disappointment by beating another Korean, Kang Chae Young, 7-3 in the bronze medal playoff. The 30-year-old ensured India's gold tally rose to six with her commendable performance.

In the men's section, 21-year-old Parth Salunkhe produced a stunning turnaround to earn his maiden World Cup medal. Despite falling behind Korean legend Kim Woojin 1-7 in the semi-final, he pulled off an impressive comeback to win in five sets. His thrilling victory came after taking just one point from top seed Woojin and edging out higher-seeded French archer Baptiste Addis 6-4 in a tense decider.

Salunkhe kick-started his campaign on a high, dominating the opening set with flawless shots before finishing off victorious with two crucial 10s to seal the match. His performance marked India's third men's medal and added to their silver tally.

The team's impressive haul concludes the Archery World Cup Stage 2 and will undoubtedly boost their confidence ahead of the next major tournament in the Olympic quota cycle.