Archers hit new low, return empty-handed from Shanghai WC

Indian compound mixed pair of Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam lost in the bronze medal play-off to cap a rare forgettable outing at the Archery World Cup Stage I in Shanghai today.

According to the information received here, Verma and Jyothi succumbed to Pierre Julien Eloche and Sophie Dodemont 153-150 without putting any fight as India failed to open their account in the season-opener.

Both the teams shot two 10s each but the French pair shot into a slender one-point lead with two 9s, compared to an eight by the Indians in the first end.

In the second end, both shot identical 37s as the French duo held on to their lead before going three points clear in the penultimate end with four perfect 10s.

It was difficult for Verma and Jyothi to stage a comeback from there on as another consistent show by the French duo with two 10s and two 9s sealed the bronze.

The duo were India's solitary medal hope after the archers had crashed from both the team and individual elimination rounds of recurve and compound sections without putting any promise.

This is one of the rare occasions when Indian archers will be returning empty-handed from the World Cup stage meets. The absence of the experienced in former World No 1 Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi and Dola Banerjee, who failed to make the Shanghai-bound squad, has cost the country dearly.

Such has been the slide that the Indian recurve men's team which was number one has slipped to No 10 in the rankings, while none of the male archers figure in top 10 in the individual rankings."

Deepika is currently world mumber three that has pushed Indian women's recurve team ranking to number two but it was an irony that she was not picked for the India side something that translated in their miserable show in Shanghai.