How Did Verma-Deepshikha Reach the Finals? Recurve Teams Seek Bronze at the Asian Archery Championship
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Abhishek Verma and Deepshikha advance to the finals.
- India has secured five medals so far.
- Recurve archers are competing for bronze.
- Strong performances from both men's and women's teams.
- Historical success in Asian Archery Championships.
Dhaka, Nov 12 (NationPress) India’s remarkable journey at the Asian Archery Championships 2025 progressed further on Wednesday as the compound mixed team of Abhishek Verma and Deepshikha advanced to the finals, while the nation’s recurve archers remained in the hunt for medals by reaching the bronze playoff.
The second-seeded Indian compound pair exhibited outstanding skill and accuracy, defeating Kazakhstan with a score of 156–153 in a one-sided semifinal match. This convincing victory guarantees India another medal and an opportunity to secure a second consecutive gold in the compound mixed team category at this continental competition.
Verma and Deepshikha will now compete against the host nation, Bangladesh, who delivered a surprising upset by beating South Korea 158–153 in the other semifinal. India aims to replicate last year’s triumph in Bangkok 2023, where Aditi Swami and Priyansh claimed the compound mixed team gold.
With this achievement, India has already locked in five medals and is still in contention for seven additional medals across various categories.
In the recurve division, the newly paired duo of Yashdeep Bhoge and Anshika Kumari showcased their talent by defeating Bangladesh 5–1 to reach the semifinals. However, their journey was cut short with a 0–6 loss to Chinese Taipei in the semifinals. They will now face South Korea in a challenging bronze-medal playoff.
Earlier, India secured four medals by advancing to both the compound men’s and women’s team finals. The recurve men’s group also reached the championship round, solidifying India’s strong presence in team categories.
The individual events also brought further reasons for optimism. In the recurve women’s category, Ankita Bhakat, Deepika Kumari, and Sangeeta all progressed to the semifinals, ensuring at least one medal for India and keeping the possibility of a clean sweep alive.
On the men’s side, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Rahul reached the recurve semifinals from different brackets, raising hopes for an all-India final. Meanwhile, in the compound women’s section, A. Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam also reached the semifinals, further extending India’s medal tally and highlighting the team's dominance across all formats.