Deepika Kumari headlines India’s final day gold rush at Paris Archery World Cup

Indian recurve archers bagged three gold medals at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Paris on Sunday, with Tokyo-bound Deepika Kumari playing a part in each of them.

Deepika Kumari, a former world No. 1, claimed top honours in the women’s individual event and also helped the women’s recurve and mixed teams clinch gold medals in their respective categories.

The highlight, though, was Deepika Kumari’s dominating performance in the final of the individual event, where she beat ROC archer Elena Osipova 6-0 in straight sets to win her eighth World Cup gold medal.

The 27-year-old Indian archer had defeated Mexico’s Ana Vazquez and Aida Roman, German ace Charline Schwarz and Italy’s Elena Tonetta in the earlier knockout rounds.

In the women’s recurve team gold medal match, the Indian trio of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Komalika Bari defeated the top-seeded Mexican team of Ana Vazquez, Alejandra Valencia and Aida Roman 5-1 in three sets.

The Indians, seeded No. 2, had knocked out Spain, Turkey and France on their way to the final after receiving a bye in the first round.

This is the Indian women’s recurve team’s second straight World Cup gold after winning top honours at the first stage of the Archery World Cup in Guatemala City back in April. They missed Stage 2 due to some COVID-enforced travel restrictions.

Deepika Kumari’s third gold of the tournament came in the recurve mixed team event with husband Atanu Das. The duo defeated Dutch pair Gabriela Schloesser and Sjef Van Den Berg 5-3 in the final.

On Saturday, Abhishek Verma opened India’s medals account at the Paris event after winning the men’s individual compound event. The recurve archers increased the tally to four on Sunday.

The Indian recurve archery contingent of Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav, will next compete at the Tokyo Olympics in July.