World Archery Para Championships: Compound archers Sarita and Rakesh win first-ever gold for India

Indian compound archers Sarita and Rakesh Kumar gave a fine performance to claim the country’s first-ever gold medal in the World Archery Para Championships in Pilsen, Czech Republic, on Saturday.

The duo claimed the mixed team world title, while 16-year-old armless archer Sheetal Devi bagged the compound women’s individual silver. Sarita bagged a second medal when she took the women’s team bronze with Jyoti.

The country’s previous best showing was two silver medals — by Pooja in recurve individual event and Shyam Sundar Swami and Jyoti in compound mixed team — in Dubai last year.

Sarita and Rakesh defeated Brazil’s Jane Gogel and Reinaldo Ferreira 152-146 in the final. The match began with both sides sharing honours (37-37) in the first end. The Indians showed consistency to take the next three ends 37-36, 39-38, 39-35.

Sheetal, who shoots with her foot, gave a tough fight before losing 138-140 to defending champion Oznur Cure of Turkey. The teenager took a 29-27 lead before Oznur rallied to level the scores in the second end and took a one-point lead in the third. The fourth end, in which Sheetal scored three 9s against Oznur’s three 10s, proved decisive as it gave the Turkish archer a four-point cushion.

Sheetal won the final end 29-27, but lost the final.

Sarita and Jyoti beat the Iranian pair of Farzaneh Asgari and Maryam Yavarpoor Shahrbabaki 147-142 to win the compound women’s team bronze. But Sarita could not get a third medal as she lost 139-142 to Jane in the individual bronze medal contest.