The women's recurve team from India won the gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 on Sunday in a nail-biting final against hosts Mexico in Guatemala City. After a seven-year wait, India finally won the World Cup.
With the score tied at 4-4 in the shoot-off, it was veteran player Deepika Kumar's perfect 10 in the final arrow that sealed the victory for the team, which also included Ankia Bhakat and Komalika Bari.
The team, which hasn't competed in the World Cup in almost two years, was down 2-4 after the third set. However, the trio's comeback in the fourth set was flawless, and they took the game 5-4.
“It feels good to win a gold medal after seven years,” Kumar said after the game to a portal. Komalika Bari, the current under-18 world champion, added, “I was nervous but thankfully I managed to do well. I'm sure this confidence will help us seal a team quota in Paris.”
The victory will undoubtedly raise the team's morale ahead of the final Olympic qualification event, which will be held in Paris in June. The team has yet to be awarded a quota for the Olympics in Tokyo.
The Indian women's recurve team has now won five gold medals. Their previous wins include Shanghai World Cup in 2011, Medellin in 2013, and Wroclaw in 2013 and 2014.
Lead Image Courtesy: Twitter/@shareradioinida