In a potential practice run for the Asian Games, India upset home favourite China in the recurve women’s team final at Shanghai 2026 — stage two of the World Cup circuit – to claim their first World Cup gold in the event since Paris 2021.
With Zhu Jingyi, Huang Yuwei and Yu Qi being the form team thus far of the outdoor season, having one World Cup gold under their belt in Puebla — stage one — and boasting the former two athletes who grabbed gold in Florida last year, it seemed as if Shanghai was theirs to take.
They would be forgetting, though, that Deepika Kumari, Kumkum Anil Mohod and Ankita Bhakat were the ones that defeated the 10-time Olympic gold medallists Korea earlier in the week, 5-1 — the margin of victory as much of a shock as the result.
China didn’t quite give the Indian trio as much room for comfort, with the teams trading ends, both struggling to find their finest forms in the ever-changing wind at the Riverside Financial Plaza.
Tied at 4-4 and China opening the door with an 8-9-9 score, third shooter Kumari needed to shoot at least a nine to give India their first World Cup recurve women’s team gold since Paris 2021 — and with a smile on her face, she did just that.
“Last year was not too good, and last year I won a bronze medal here,” said the four-time Olympian Kumari. “I didn’t shoot well then, either individual or team, so you can say that I’m heading in a good direction.”
“When I shot the seven, I was a little bit distracted. A little bit because of my shooting and also my partner, because she was counting down and I saw the time board.
“That time I was a little distracted, but then it was good because my third member was not shooting well and she was a little bit nervous handling it.”