Indian archer Deepika Kumari has secured her sixth World Cup Final medal, earning a silver after a 0-6 defeat to China’s Li Jiaman in the final match of the Archery World Cup Final held recently. The 2010 Commonwealth Games champion showcased remarkable skill and determination throughout the tournament, having previously dominated her quarter-final and semi-final matches. Deepika dispatched Li’s teammate, Yang Xiaolei, with a commanding 6-0 victory before defeating eventual bronze medallist Alejandra Valencia 6-4.
Reflecting on her experience, Deepika expressed her gratitude, stating, “It’s an honour to be part of this World Cup, to win this World Cup. Now, I’m going to work even harder after that.” Her performance underscores her status as one of the top archers in the sport.
Li Jiaman, competing in the World Cup Final for the first time, managed to win the title in a spectacular fashion. She remarked on her journey, noting the contrasting levels of tension she felt during the matches. “The first match was relatively tense, and the last two felt like a little bit more of a challenge,” Li said. “I was still doing my best but I wasn’t as nervous as I was in the first match. I was just trying to get the best arrows out. I wasn’t thinking too much about winning or losing.”
The five-member Indian archery team, which included three compound and two recurve archers, concluded their campaign at the season-ending tournament with a total of one medal. Despite the challenges, the team’s performance highlighted the growing strength of Indian archery on the international stage. As Deepika Kumari continues to inspire the next generation of archers, her commitment to the sport remains unwavering, and she aims to build on this success in future competitions.