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Turkish gold for new Indian partnership in Antalya

24 avril 2022

Antalya, Turkey

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India's recurve mixed team celebrate winning gold at Antalya 2022

The penultimate finals session of the first stage of the 2022 Hyundai Archery World Cup saw India, Great Britain and Chinese Taipei take recurve team gold medals in the temporary arena next to Konyaalti beach in Antalya, Turkey.

Two of the finals were one-sided, with Britain defeating Germany, 5-1, to take women’s team gold and Chinese Taipei seeing off Italy in straight sets to win the recurve men’s team event. But the mixed team final went down to the wire – as Indian pair Tarundeep Rai and Ridhi squeezed past Britain’s Bryony Pitman and Alex Wise in a shoot-off, 18-17.

Wise had the chance to win it for the Brits with a 10 but he pulled his arrow wide, hitting nine and sparking celebrations from the new Indian duo.

“I was feeling so excited before the match,” said 38-year-old Rai, who – despite a long career – only had one previous gold medal from the tour on his resume, a team win from back in 2010.

“This was the first time we have been paired together, she’s just 17 years old and has a bright future. It’s been a great experience with her and I wish every time we shoot, the Indian team will win gold.”

“Winning a World Cup title is a kind of milestone and this experience will really help us to win a medal in the Asian Games.”

Ridhi did not underestimate the momentous occasion in her young career.

“It’s not even the first time I’m playing in a final venue, I’m playing my first World Cup,” she said. “I was so very excited to play here at the final venue and we can say that this was my best performance ever in a senior tournament.”

World number one Brady Ellison teamed up with unknown 16-year-old Gabrielle Sasai to take bronze, thanks to a 5-3 win over Spain.

“It’s awesome for a couple of reasons,” explained Brady, who will shoot in the recurve men’s final four later today. “One, it’s been a while since the USA has been around the mixed team medals, and [two] because it’s her first World Cup. She got us to the bronze medal match really, she way outshot me earlier in the week and we both shot great out there [today].”

Great Britain's recurve women's team on their way to gold at Antalya 2022

Great Britain’s Penny Healey, Bryony Pitman, Jaspreet Kaur Jessica Sagoo were dominant against the Germany trio of Katharina Bauer, Michelle Kroppen, Charline Schwarz, winning in their recurve women’s final, 5-1.

Pitman entered the day with the opportunity to win three gold medals – and hopes were still alive after the first match of the day, but the tight mixed team loss to India put paid to that chance. She will be hoping to climb the podium one last time in Antalya, in the recurve women’s event, which also features German pair Bauer and Schwarz.

“We’ve been solid all week and I’m glad we finished the final in an excellent way,” said Pitman, praising a team that features circuit debutants Healey and Sagoo.

“All the hard work has been paying off. We’ve come out here this week and we’ve shot really well as a team,” she added.

“As an individual, everything has just finally come together. I’ve been doing World Cups for a while now. To finally be at an event and to have everything happen all at once is just incredible.”

The Netherlands’ men and Chinese Taipei women won recurve team bronze medals earlier this week.

Competition in Antalya concludes this afternoon with the recurve final fours.