The Indian men's recurve team lost its way in the World Archery Championships final against the People's Republic of China to settle for silver in Den Bosch, the Netherlands on Wednesday. China won the game 6-2 after drawing twice in the first and third set to clinch the gold medal.
The Indian team - Tarundeep Rai, Atanu Das and Pravin Jadhav - failed to take any lead in the first set as China shot equally well to score 53. China, however, put up a brilliant show in the second set to lose just two points to score 58. India, on the other hand, could manage only 51 (8, 9, 10, 7, 9, 8). After drawing in the third set as well with 56-56, China led with a set scoreline of 4-2. The last set however went in favour of the People's Republic of China after it clinched the set points with a score of 57-52.
Earlier, India had bagged the full three-member Olympic Quota - for the first time since the 2012 London Olympics - after it defeated Canada in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.
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The men’s recurve team was featuring in the final of World Championships after a gap of 14 years. This was India’s sixth silver at the World Championships where the country is yet to win a gold medal.
“Feeling good and also bad. It was a big chance for us. We have won so many silver medals (at World Championships) but we have never won a gold. This time too, we could not able to convert this into a gold,” rued Rai, who was also a member the men’s recurve team that last won a silver at Madrid 2005. Rai, along with Jayanta Talukdar and Gautam Singh, had lost to Korea 232-244 in the final of World Championship in Madrid 2005.
“But we have learnt so many things, hope it will help us to rectify our mistakes and change the colour of the medal in future,” Rai, a two-time Olympian and 2010 Asian Games individual silver medallist, said.
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The men’s recurve team, which had slumped to number 17 in rankings had also surprised everyone by sealing the Olympic quota place ahead of the fancied women’s team.
This was also for the first time since 2014 that the Indian men’s team made the final of a world event. India had ended up with a silver at the Wroclaw Stage IV World Cup in 2014 with Rai being a member of the team, alongside Das and Jayanta Talukdar.
Describing this as a breakthrough moment for Indian men’s recurve team, the 35-year-old Army archer further said: “We have struggled a lot since last four-five years. Putting us in question mark can we win medals.
“This time we could proved them wrong and hope in future our archers will come to win medals and not just for participation.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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