Indian archers have delivered stellar performances at the continental championships, successfully advancing to the title rounds and cementing medal prospects for the country. Defending champion Sheetal Devi and debutant Swati Choudhary both secured crucial victories in their respective categories to guarantee podium finishes.
Sheetal and Swati Secure Final Berths
In the women compound semifinal, 19-year-old Sheetal Devi defeated Japan Shinohara Aya with a score of 145-137. She had previously equaled the world record and set a new Asian record during the qualification round. She will now face Singapore Alim Nur Syahiida in the gold medal match. Meanwhile, making her debut at the Para Games, Swati Choudhary triumphed over South Korea Eunhee Lee 6-2 in the women W1 semifinal. She is set to play against Meken of China in the final. The W1 category is designated for athletes who experience significant limitations in functional strength or range of motion across all four limbs, or have absent limbs.
Mixed Teams and Doubles Progress
The Indian recurve and compound mixed teams also advanced to the semifinals after defeating Thailand and Japan respectively. Paralympic gold medalist Harvinder Singh and Bhavana dominated the Thai pair 6-0 in the recurve mixed team event. Furthermore, world number one archer Sheetal teamed up with Toman Kumar to enter the mixed team semifinal, overcoming Japan with a score of 154-147. Additionally, Sheetal and Payal Nag will compete in the compound women doubles semifinal.
Singles Contests and Knockout Results
Several Indian athletes faced tough challenges in their individual brackets. In the recurve singles quarterfinals, Harvinder Singh lost a close match to Yun Duo of China 6-5 in a shootoff, while Bhavana was defeated 6-2 by Selengee D of Mongolia. In the men compound semifinal, Toman Kumar fell short against Ai Xinliang of China with a score of 149-144. Despite these setbacks, the Indian contingent has maintained a strong overall presence throughout the tournament.
