The world number four demonstrated exceptional consistency throughout the session. After recording 348 points in his first 36 arrows, he maintained his momentum by dropping only 10 points in the final 36, adding 350 to his tally. His dominant display earned him a bye into the second round of the 64-archer individual elimination draw. India’s other representatives, Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge, finished 18th and 25th with scores of 676 and 665, respectively, with Bhoge missing the cut for the knockout phase.
Strong Team Positioning and Compound Success
India’s men’s recurve team also enjoyed a productive day, finishing second in the qualification standings behind Korea. As the second seed in the 32-team draw, the squad has received a bye into the pre-quarterfinals, where they are set to face the Philippines. The team, which secured a silver medal at the Hangzhou Games, will need to navigate three rounds of competition to contend for a podium finish.
The qualification round saw a significant upset within the Korean camp, as legendary archer Kim Woojin failed to advance to the individual elimination stage. Under tournament rules, only the top two archers from each nation qualify for the 64-player bracket, and Woojin finished third among his compatriots. Meanwhile, in the women's compound category, 21-year-old
Jyothi Surekha Vennam, a triple Asian Games gold medallist, finished 13th to secure her place in the elimination rounds, while teenager Prithika Pradeep missed out on an individual berth after finishing third among the Indian archers. Despite the individual results, India secured the second seed in the women's compound team event, trailing only China. The team is scheduled to begin their campaign against Mongolia in the 16-team draw. As the competition progresses, the focus shifts to the upcoming women's recurve and men's compound qualification rounds.
