Asia Cup: India assured of six medals, recurve archers disappoint again

Asia Cup Archery Championship on Thursday. However India's male recurve archers were once again a big letdown with not a single one of them able to reach the individual medal round. The Indians however made amends in the team events advancing into the final in both the men's and women's sections.

The high point of the day came in the compound section where India remained in line for a clean sweep. India have sent their fringe archers for the tournament which already has lost some sheen after pull-out from South Korea, China, Japan and Chinese Taipei. National champion Parth Salunkhe, who earned the top seed, and sixth seed Dhiraj B of the Services made first round exits.

Maharashtra lad Salunkhe put up a brave fight before losing to Malaysia's Muhamad Zarif Syahiir Zolkepeli 4-6 (28-29, 27-27, 27-28, 28-28, 26-26). Dhiraj on other hand lost out in one-sided show 1-7 (27-28, 28-28, 26-29, 24-15). Women's top seed Ridhi Phor and 10th seed Laxmi Hembrom also suffered first round exits.

Ridhi lost to her Bangladeshi rival Diya Siddhique 4-6 (27-28, 27-24, 29-24, 25-27, 25-28), while Laxmi squandered a 4-0 lead to be eliminated in the shootoff 5-6 (28-25, 25-24, 25-26, 25-25, 25-28 T: 8-9). It was fourth seed Tisha Punia who gave India the ray of hope in the recurve women's individual event setting up a bronze-playoff against Malaysia's Naa Fozi. The men's trio of Salunkhe, Dhiraj and Rahul Kumar Nagarwal set up a final clash against Kazakhstan.