Madrid Archery World Cup: India's recurve teams bow out in pre-quarterfinals

India's campaign at Stage 4 of the Archery World Cup got off to a disappointing start in Madrid on Thursday, with both the men’s and women’s recurve teams exiting in the pre-quarterfinals.

Under the guidance of new coach Rahul Banerjee, the women’s recurve team — featuring Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and 15-year-old debutant Gatha Khadake — showed early promise against France. Seeded fourth after solid qualification scores, the trio took the first set 58-54 and managed a 3-1 lead after a tied second set.

However, the momentum shifted when an errant eight-point arrow cost India the third set 54-56. With the match level at 3-3 and pressure mounting, the Indian women couldn’t recover. A costly six-pointer in the final set brought their total to just 53, allowing France to edge the set 54-53 and complete a stunning comeback victory.

It was a tough initiation for Banerjee, whose debut as coach ended in a result that highlighted both promise and pressure.

Men’s Team knocked out by Brazil

The men's recurve team — Dhiraj Bommadevara, Rahul Singh, and Neeraj Chauhan — were unable to overcome Brazil in their Round of 16 match. Despite being seeded ninth, India fell behind early, losing the first two sets 55-56 and 54-57.

A brief resurgence in the third set, which they won 57-56, wasn’t enough. Brazil held steady in the fourth and final set, taking it 56-54 to wrap up a 6-2 win and eliminate India from contention.

The early exits came on the back of underwhelming performances in the qualification rounds held on Wednesday. Among the men, Dhiraj Bommadevara ranked highest for India in 13th place, while debutant Rahul Singh and Chauhan finished 34th and 35th, giving India a ninth-seed team ranking.

In the women's section, Ankita Bhakat, Deepika Kumari, and Gatha Khadake placed 15th, 18th, and 25th, respectively — respectable but not competitive enough in a field packed with world-class talent.