Shanghai 2024: Finals for both Indian compound teams at season opener

The Indian men’s and women’s compound teams got off to a great start to the Hyundai Archery World Cup season, both securing gold medal match appearances at the season opener in Shanghai.

On Saturday morning the men will face the Netherlands and the women Italy for the top step of the podium.

“Our coordination was good today and we read the wind well,” said the experienced Abhishek Verma, who’s partnered with World Cup first-timer Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge and reigning under-21 world champion Priyansh.

“The semifinals are always tight matches. We were prepared to shoot well and happy to make it to gold.”

After seeding fourth, the squad beat the Philippines and Denmark before displaying ominous form to upset top qualifiers Korea, 235-233. Tied at even after two ends, the Indians grabbed a point after the third and finished with a 59 to secure the final.

“We played alongside players that we used to watch on YouTube,” said Priyansh, who trains with Verma in New Delhi. “We could have shot even better.”

The Indian women are the reigning world champions – and seeded first in Shanghai.

Through two matches and 48 arrows they dropped just 10 points, defeating first Türkiye and then Estonia to confirm their status as the leading team in the division.

“We maintained our shooting process and it worked well,” said an elated Aditi Swami, the reigning under-18 and senior World Archery Champion. “I hope we can repeat the success of the World Cup in Paris last year where both the Indian men and women won the team gold medals.”

India’s line-up: still Swami, Asian Games Champion Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Parneet Kaur.

But the squad is without the coach that architected so many of their successes last season, Italian import Sergio Pagni. He is currently at a camp in India.

In the final, the Indian women will face Italy, who overcame Kazakhstan in a semifinal shoot-off after the scores were tied at 227 points in regulation.

“We made some errors but it was a good match,” said Marcella Tonioli.

The 10th seeded Dutch men also won a tiebreak – against France – to book their ticket to the final. Mike Schloesser, Sil Pater and Stef Willems shot three perfect X-ring 10s, compared to their opponents’ standard 10s, to survive the match.

“We have stepped up our game compared to yesterday and we’re super happy,“ said world number one Schloesser, calling the result a surprise after entering the bracket as underdogs.

Kazakhstan’s women and the Korean men’s team secured bronze medals at the end of the session.

Competition continues this afternoon in Shanghai with recurve qualifying.

Finals: Shanghai 2024

• Compound men team: India versus Netherlands
• Compound women team: India versus Italy

Watch coverage from Shanghai live with a subscription to archery+.