India Dominate Asia Cup Stage 1 Qualifiers, Secure Top Spot In Six Events Despite Rest To Star Players

India’s young recurve archers rose to the occasion while the seasoned compound men stamped their authority, as the country topped qualification in six events at the Asia Cup World Ranking Tournament Stage 1, here on Tuesday.

Fielding a second-string side in the absence of several top names, India made a strong start to the new international season by finishing on top in men's compound individual and team events, men’s recurve team, women’s compound team, and both recurve and compound mixed team events.

The recurve men's trio of Devaang Gupta, Sukhchain Singh and Juyel Sarkar led the charge, powering India to the top seeding in the team event and a direct entry into the quarterfinals, where they will face the winners of the tie between Bhutan (No. 9) and Mongolia (No. 8). China and Kazakhstan finished second and third respectively.

Devaang, one of India’s brightest young prospects who recently won gold at the Khelo India University Games and a silver at the 2024 Pan American Championships, was the best-placed Indian in the individual rankings at third with 663 points, just four behind top-ranked neutral archer Kirill Batuev. China’s Jiabing Yang (664) took the second spot.

Sukhchain Singh, making a comeback after five years, was placed eighth with 657, while the 20-year-old Juyel Sarkar, a consistent performer in Asia Cup team events, finished 11th with 654.

In women’s recurve, Ruma Biswas produced an impressive show to finish second with 650 points, just three behind Singapore’s Tabitha Ern Lin Yeo. Kirti (638, 10th) and Ridhi Phor (627, 17th), who is returning after a three-year gap, were the other notable Indian performers as the team secured third place behind Malaysia and Vietnam.

Compound quartet shines

The experienced compound men completely dominated proceedings, occupying the top four spots in the individual qualification.

Veteran Rajat Chauhan led the field with a stellar 712 out of a possible 720, followed by world No. 4 Rishabh Yadav (708), Asian Games gold medallist Prathamesh Jawkar (706) and Uday Kamboj (703).

The trio, which is among the strongest in the field and will be aiming to defend their title, also ensured India a direct quarterfinal berth in the team event, where they will take on the winners of Chinese Taipei (No. 8) and Singapore (No. 9).

India had entered the tournament as firm favourites in the compound section, even in the absence of some big names, with the core group boasting significant international success, including a World Championships team gold last year.

In the women’s compound section, 20-year-old Chikitha Taniparthi led the Indian challenge with a fourth-place finish (697), continuing her steady rise after a team bronze at this venue last year.

She was followed by experienced archer Raj Kaur (5th), while Tejal Salve, a gold medallist from last year’s Asia Cup leg in Singapore, finished 13th with 658. The trio combined to give India the top seeding in the team event.

India also topped the standings in both recurve and compound mixed team events, underlining their all-round depth despite fielding a relatively inexperienced squad.

The tournament marks the start of a long international season, with the Indian think-tank opting to rest established names such as Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma to test bench strength ahead of the Asian Games later this year.

Despite the absence of these marquee archers, India the defending overall champions will be aiming to continue their dominance on the Asia Cup circuit, having topped the medal tally with eight medals, including five gold, in last year’s opening leg.

With 194 archers from 19 countries competing, the event offers crucial world ranking points and serves as an early-season testing ground.