India’s campaign in the recurve events at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 ended in disappointment as both the men’s and women’s teams bowed out without medals.

However, a string of strong performances in the compound section has kept the country’s hopes alive with two confirmed medals.

The men’s recurve team of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Atanu Das, and Tarundeep Rai fell short in the bronze medal match, losing 3-5 to the USA. Despite a spirited comeback after trailing 0-4, the Indian trio managed to take the third set 55-54, but the fourth ended in a 56-56 draw, ending their medal bid.

Earlier in the semifinals, the Indians were edged out by France in a nerve-wracking shoot-off, 4-5 (25-26). In both knockout matches, crucial arrows landing in the 7 and 8 rings at key moments proved costly.

Meanwhile, the women’s recurve team of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and Anshika Kumari, who had qualified as the third-best side, faced a shock exit in the pre-quarterfinals. They lost 4-5 in a shoot-off against 14th-seeded Mexico. Despite recovering from a 0-4 deficit and forcing a decider, the Indian women were edged out 26-27 in the final shoot-off.

While the recurve teams stumbled in high-pressure moments, India’s compound archers have shone through with consistency and resilience. On Wednesday, both the men’s and women’s compound teams advanced to the finals, guaranteeing India at least two medals. They will face Mexico in both gold medal matches.

In individual compound events, Madhura Dhamangaonkar emerged as a standout performer, becoming the only Indian female archer to reach the semifinals. She pulled off a narrow but impressive 142-141 win over seasoned compatriot Jyothi Surekha Vennam in the quarterfinals.

In the men’s section, Rishabh Yadav delivered one of the biggest upsets of the day, defeating world no.2 Mathias Fullerton of Denmark in a dramatic shoot-off to book his place in the semifinals.

With multiple archers in medal contention and finals lined up in the compound section, India will be hoping to finish the Shanghai leg on a strong note, even as concerns remain around recurve performances under pressure.