Did India’s Archers Miss the Mark in the Men's Individual Quarters?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Rishabh Yadav and teammates exited in the quarterfinals.
- Prathamesh Fuge stunned the world No.1 but lost in a shoot-off.
- All three archers were fresh from a team gold.
- Individual competitions proved challenging despite team success.
- Future potential remains strong for Indian archery.
Gwangju (South Korea), Sep 8 (NationPress) India's remarkable journey in the men's compound events at the World Archery Championships ended in a dramatic fashion during the individual quarterfinals, as gold medallists Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini, and Prathamesh Fuge all exited the tournament — shattering dreams of a clean sweep.
The trio, riding high from their historic team gold medal win, were placed in different quarters of the draw, providing India a real chance to defend the individual title. However, despite significant expectations, none of the three could translate team success into individual triumph.
The most heart-wrenching exit was that of newcomer Prathamesh Fuge, who was competing in his world championship debut and had already shocked world number one Mike Schloesser in the pre-quarterfinals with a perfect score of 150/150. With confidence soaring, Fuge led 119-118 after four Ends in his quarterfinal showdown against Denmark’s world No.2 Mathias Fullerton.
Unfortunately, a missed point at the beginning of the final (fifth) end turned out to be detrimental. The match concluded in a tie at 148-148, and Fullerton kept his composure during the shoot-off, scoring a flawless 10 against Fuge’s 9.
Fuge, who was seeded 19th and the lowest-ranked Indian in the men's compound draw, had earlier achieved the most significant upset of his nascent career by eliminating world number one and 2013 world champion Schloesser with remarkable poise.
India’s top seed Rishabh Yadav, fresh from winning team gold and mixed-team silver, lost narrowly 145-146 to the eventual world champion Nicolas Girard of France. Yadav had a one-point lead going into the final End but faltered by dropping two critical points, leading to his departure from medal contention.
Aman Saini also put up a valiant fight but was ultimately defeated 144-147 by American Curtis Broadnax, marking the end of India’s aspirations for individual triumph in the men’s compound discipline.