Archery World Cup: Jyothi, Parneet Reach Compound Women’s Semifinals; Rishabh, Aman Exit Early

Madrid – India’s Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Parneet Kaur advanced to the semifinals in the compound women’s category at Stage 4 of the Archery World Cup, delivering strong performances in Madrid.

Jyothi, who topped the qualification round, defeated Turkey’s Hazal Burun 147-144 in the quarterfinals. She will now face South Korea’s Han Seungyeon in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Parneet Kaur secured her first-ever World Cup semifinal appearance with a narrow 142-141 win over another Turkish archer, Oznur Cure Girdi. Parneet, the 2023 Asian Champion, had not previously won an individual medal outside Asia and had missed the first three World Cup stages this season—in Florida, Shanghai, and Antalya.

Just two points shy of her personal best, Parneet scored 702 in the 72-arrow qualification round. She now stands just two matches away from a potential first World Cup podium finish.

Speaking to World Archery, Parneet shared how she improved her focus: “I’ve tried to concentrate on three key steps during my shot. And when I’m off the line, I do some calligraphy or drawing. That’s helped me stay focused.”

Parneet is set to face reigning European Champion Ella Gibson in the semifinals. If both Indians win their matches, the final could be an all-Indian clash between Parneet and Jyothi. Otherwise, they may battle for bronze, with Korea’s Han Seungyeon and Gibson in contention.

In contrast, the Indian men’s compound archers had a disappointing day. Top-seeded Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini, and Priyansh all exited in the second round, while Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge was knocked out in the opening round.

India’s recurve teams also struggled. The women’s team of Ankita Bhakat, Deepika Kumari, and 15-year-old debutant Gatha Khadake, who entered directly into the second round due to a fourth seeding, lost 3-5 to France.

The men's recurve team comprising Dhiraj Bommadevara, Rahul Singh, and Neeraj Chauhan went down 2-6 to Brazil in their opening match.

With inputs from IANS