Newly-wed archer couple Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das led the present with two particular person gold medals as India capped their greatest ever present in a World Cup, claiming three golds and one bronze within the match’s first stage in Guatemala City, Mexico. Former world No. 1 Deepika claimed her profession’s third particular person World Cup gold so as to add to their staff’s triumph, whereas her husband Das grabbed his first-ever World Cup particular person medal in fashion profitable the mens’ recurve particular person remaining.
The duo at the moment are mechanically certified for this season’s most-coveted Archery World Cup Final. “We travel together, train together, compete together and win together,” Das, who bought married to Deepika in June 2020 after a two-year courtship, mentioned after claiming the gold medal on Sunday. “She knows what I like, and I know what she likes.”
This was India’s recurve archers’ greatest ever World Cup finish with two particular person and one staff gold medals of their return to the highest International calendar yr occasion after nearly two years. Also, this was India’s best-ever particular person recurve males’s outcome since Jayanta Talukdar triumphed in Croatia means again in 2009.
India began off with the ladies’s staff of Deepika, Ankita Bhakat and Komalika Bari profitable a primary staff gold after seven years once they scripted a shocking turnaround to down fancied Mexico 5-4 (27-26) in an intriguing shoot-off.
The efficiency rubbed off on the combined pair duo of Das and Ankita Bhakat as they bagged a combined pair bronze, upsetting topseed USA 6-2 with one more fightback on the Sports Complex Los Arcos right here. But the true icing on the cake got here within the particular person occasions later within the day when nation’s high archery couple ‘Dee-Das’ bagged two particular person golds of their respective occasions.
Former world primary Deepika, who was seeded third, produced one more calm finish in an intense shoot-off to edge out USA’s eighth seed Mackenzie Brown 6-5 (9*-9) by hitting nearer to the centre. In the semi-final she had defeated her Mexican rival Alejandra Valencia 7-3.
This was Deepika’s third profession stage win and first since Salt Lake City 2018. World quantity six Deepika was 3-1 up after two units however noticed that lead vanish after Brown evened the match with a 29 within the third and a 28 within the fourth.
The two-time Olympian, nevertheless, held her floor within the fifth, capturing a 29 and displaying the sort of resilience she’s oft been accused of missing. “The most difficult part was the heart-beating sound, which made me really nervous,” the world No. 6 mentioned, mimicking a heartbeat for emphasis.
Deepika shot first and shot a 9, about one centimetre out of the 10-ring to the precise. Brown’s arrow went left – and additional out within the 9 than Deepika’s. That single arrow added a second gold on the day to enrich the recurve girls’s staff gold India received over Mexico.
“It’s been a long time since I shot in the finals,” she mentioned. “It feels great and, at the same time, I’m happy and nervous. It gives me confidence and pushes me to give better performances.”
But the very best present got here from her husband Das when he outclassed Spanish World Cup debutant Daniel Castro 6-4 to say his maiden particular person World Cup medal. Das’ earlier greatest within the particular person part has been a fourth place finish in Antalya-2016 the place he misplaced to Kim Woojin within the bronze playoff.
He had one wild set of 26 factors in his semi-final win Mexican Angel Alvarado, who received combined staff gold this morning, however in any other case shot units of 28, 29 and a closing glorious 30 factors in a four-set victory. Trailing after three units within the remaining towards Castro, Das flicked a change.
He closed with a 29 and a 30 – capturing his final 10 earlier than his opponent had completed, placing the match out of attain and sealed the difficulty with a punch within the air. “It feels amazing. It’s like dreams are coming true. I have worked for so many years and now this is paying off. This is my first title and I’m very happy,” Das mentioned.
On his excellent final set to take gold, he mentioned, “I simply gave my greatest and was current. I did not take into consideration the long run or the previous, simply current.
“It’s beautiful. It’s a big boost for me ahead of the Olympics. I’m working in the right way,” Das, who will likely be capturing in his second Olympics at Tokyo, signed off with a giant smile.
