Archery: Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Rishabh Yadav clinch gold medal at World Cup Stage 1

 

In Archery, the Indian duo of Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Rishabh Yadav clinched the gold medal in the compound mixed team event at the World Cup Stage 1 in Florida, USA. The pair edged past their Chinese Taipei opponents, Huang I-Jou and Chen Chieh-Lun, 153-151, in a thrilling final last night. The Indian team got off to a shaky start, losing the first and second series 37-38 and 38-39, respectively. However, they mounted a strong comeback in the third series, winning it 39-38, powered by two perfect 10s and an ‘inner 10’.

 

Riding that momentum, they dominated the fourth and decisive series 39-36, sealing the win with an aggregate score of 153-151. The victory marked Rishabh’s maiden World Cup gold, while it was the 11th gold for Jyothi at the event. Notably, the Indian pair has also become the first-ever champions in the compound mixed team category since it was officially included as an Olympic event. The International Olympic Committee recently approved the inclusion of this discipline for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.