Indian archers finished the second phase of the Asia Cup in Singapore with nine medals, including two golds, six silvers, and one bronze. While the medal count was encouraging, the overall performance generated new concerns, notably in the Olympic recurve event. Indian athletes competed in seven out of ten finals in both recurve and compound categories, but won only two gold medals. The remaining five finals saw Indian archers fall short, suffering with precision and calm under pressure. Top-seeded archers fell to lower-ranked opponents, with vital arrows falling in the outer zones.
The recurve discipline yielded no gold medals. The men’s recurve team, which was ranked #1 after qualifiers, lost in straight sets to Japan, scoring less than 50 points in two matches. The recurve mixed team also lost against Indonesia due to a series of errors, including a one-point arrow.
Kushal Dalal won gold in the men’s event, and Tejal Salve defeated compatriot Shanmukhi Budde in the women’s final. Sachin Chechi won a bronze. However, team events in the compound resulted in tight setbacks, notably a shoot-out loss to Malaysia and a blown lead against Kazakhstan, demonstrating recurring issues in crucial situations.
