‘India stands tall on world stage’: AAI secy general hails Dhiraj-Kumkum after Antalya triumph

New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) The Archery Association of India (AAI) Secretary General Virendraa Sachdeva hailed Dhiraj Bommadevara and Kumkum Mohod after the pair clinched the recurve mixed team gold medal at the Archery World Cup in Antalya, defeating Olympic champions South Korea in the final.

The Indian duo produced a composed display to beat Oh Yejin and Kim Je Deok 5-1 in a closely contested summit clash on Sunday. The contest featured narrow margins throughout, with both teams trading tight scores across the sets before the Indian pair held their nerve in key moments to secure the title.

Congratulating the archers on their achievement, the AAI Secretary General said the victory underlined India’s growing stature in world archery.

“India stands tall on the world stage once again! Congratulations to Dhiraj and Kumkum on winning the Recurve Mixed Team Gold at the Antalya World Cup. Defeating the Olympic champion in the final is a testament to their exceptional skill, composure and determination,” he wrote in a tweet on X.

“This remarkable achievement reflects the growing strength, resilience and world-class calibre of Indian archery. Wishing our archers continued success as they scale even greater heights on the global stage,” he added.

Dhiraj and Kumkum, who made her World Cup debut this season, kept their composure throughout the match, matching the Koreans arrow for arrow before delivering crucial shots under pressure. Dhiraj, India’s highest-ranked recurve archer at world No. 16, finished the match with a perfect 10 on his last arrow.

Overall, each archer scored three 10s. Kumkum recorded three 9s, while Dhiraj scored two 9s and one 8, highlighting the teamwork that led India to gold. This was the first World Cup mixed team gold medal for both archers

The gold medal was another significant milestone for Indian archery, with Dhiraj and Kumkum overcoming one of the strongest teams in the sport. South Korea entered the final as Olympic champions and favourites, but the Indian pair maintained their composure throughout the match to emerge victorious.

–IANS

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