Inconsistent archers bag three silver

Indians figured in three finals and one bronze medal play-off in the recurve section events held on Friday, but in none of them could they register a win on the penultimate day, according to information received here.

The country’s gold medal hope now rests with the women’s trio of Jhano Hansdah, Gagandeep Kaur and Manjudha Soy, who have made it to a World Cup final in the compound section for the first time. They will take on hosts Erika Anschutz, Christie Colin and Jamie van Natta in the summit clash.

The women’s recurve team of Deepika, Laishram Bombayla Devi and Chekrovolu Swuro began the campaign on a sorry note when they lost to Ukraine 210-213. Ukraine became India’s nemesis yet again when the fancied men’s recurve trio of Jayanta Talukdar, Thupuvoyi Swuro and Viswash lost by an identical margin in the bronze play-off.

Deepika, the 17-year-old Ranchi girl, was overwhelmed by top seed Ming Cheng of China in the women’s recurve final. In the mixed recurve final, Deepika and Talukdar began the first end with a three point (36-33) lead over Miranda Leek and Brady Ellison.

oth the finalists shot 37 each in the final end, which was enough for Miranda and Ellison to clinch the yellow metal defeating the duo of Deepika-Talukdar 145-136. In the women’s recurve final, Deepika and Ming were locked 27-27 in the first set and the second was a similar script with both tying 25-25.

But Ming changed the course of the match from the third set to open up a 4-2 lead. The Chinese maintained her composure in the final set as Deepika could not match up to Ming to go down 2-6.