Asian Archery Championships: Indian men stun favourites Korea in shoot-off to win recurve gold

The Indian men’s recurve team produced its most stirring performance in recent memory to stun heavyweights South Korea in a nerve-wracking shoot-off to clinch its first Asian Archery Championships gold in 18 years, in Dhaka on Friday.

The trio of Yashdeep Bhoge, Atanu Das and Rahul rallied from 2-4 down to script a dramatic 5-4 victory over a Korean second-string side comprising Seo Mingi, Kim Yechan and Jang Jiho, breaking Korea’s stranglehold on the event since 2009.

Both teams shot 29 in the shoot-off, but India were declared winners after Das – the two-time Olympian who had exited early in the individual event – delivered an assured 10 that finished closer to the centre than Korea’s, sealing India’s first Asian Championship men’s team gold since 2007.

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The result swelled India’s tally at the championships to four gold and two silver, with the compound squad having already returned a haul of three gold and two silver on Thursday.

India’s compound archers have have had a stellar run with Jyothi Surekha Vennam completing a memorable double by winning both the team and individual gold.

It was a deeply emotional moment for recurve men’s team coach Rahul Banerjee, a member of that champion 2007 team alongside Mangal Singh Champia and Jayanta Talukdar.

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Eighteen years after winning the title as an athlete, the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist anchored a second triumph, this time with his long-time protege Atanu and his wife Deepika Kumari in the squad.

Atanu, who topped national trials to earn selection and make Banerjee the men’s team coach, fittingly hit the decisive arrow.

Didn’t choke, finally fulfilled: Rahul

“It’s really fulfilling as a coach as we defeated Korea and didn’t choke. Atanu and I were discussing last night that we have not won a gold for a long time and it’s finally fulfilled. The next target is Asian Games definitely,” Banerjee told PTI from Dhaka.

Korea may have arrived without their legendary Olympic champion Kim Woojin, but the side still featured quality talent.

Seo Mingi topped national trials, Kim Yechan is a 20-year-old Chengdu University Games gold-medallist, and Jang Jiho rounded out a promising trio.

Banerjee was quick to underline that pedigree.

“They are not their top-three archers but after the World Championships they had the trial for Asians and these were picked. As far as my knowledge is concerned, they are their top four, five, six archers.

“In terms of quality, the Koreans are Koreans – the difference among their top five is minimal,” he pointed out.

Comeback win for India

The final had its share of ups and downs. Korea began with 56 in the first set after an 8, with India matching them arrow for arrow.

The second set too ended 56-all despite India drifting into the red 7-point ring once.

At 2-2, Korea broke away with a sharp 57, while India faltered badly with four 8s and just one 10 to slump to 2-4.

But India mounted a superb response in the fourth set, opening with back-to-back 10s and closing out a composed 57-53 win to level the match 4-4 and force the shoot-off that yielded their most significant men’s recurve victory in nearly two decades.

The women’s team, mixed team and Jyothi in the individual category accounted for the yellow metal, while the men’s team settled for silver and 17-year-old Prithika Pradeep claimed a silver.

India are also in line for more medals when individual recurve resumes in the second session, with Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and rookie Sangeeta reaching the women’s semifinals. Dhiraj Bommadevara and Rahul are through to the last four in the men’s draw.