Jyothi, Parneet enter semifinals of Archery World Cup

Madrid

India’s archery stars Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Parneet Kaur have made it to the semifinals of the compound women’s event at the Archery World Cup’s fourth stage this season. Jyothi, who was the top qualifier, beat Turkey’s Hazal Burun 147-144 in the quarterfinals. She will now face Korea’s Han Seungyeon in the semifinals.

Parneet reached her first-ever World Cup semifinal by winning a close match against Oznur Cure Girdi of Turkey 142-141. Parneet, who became Asian Champion in 2023, had never won an individual medal outside Asia before. She also missed the first three stages of this year’s World Cup. In the qualification round on Tuesday, she almost matched her personal best score, finishing with 702 points.

Parneet said her coach advised her to focus on three steps during each shot. When not shooting, she also practiced calligraphy or drawing to stay focused. In the semifinals, she will face European Champion Ella Gibson. If she wins, she could meet Jyothi or Han Seungyeon in the final or bronze match.

In the men’s compound event, Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini, and Priyansh lost in the second round. Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge exited in the first round.

In recurve archery, both Indian men’s and women’s teams lost in their opening matches. The women’s team, including Ankita Bhakat, Deepika Kumari, and 15-year-old Gatha Khadake, lost 3-5 to France. The men’s team, with Dhiraj Bommadevara, Rahul Singh, and Neeraj Chauhan, lost 2-6 to Brazil.