India win gold in recurve men’s doubles archery at Asian Para Games

• Harvinder Singh and debutant Vijay Sundi win men's recurve doubles gold, defeating China 5-1

• India's Bhawna Choudhary and Pooja Jatyan settle for women's doubles silver after a 0-6 loss to China

• Harvinder and Bhawna lose the mixed doubles semifinal and will face Iran in the bronze-medal match

India's Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh and debutant Vijay Sundi clinched the men's doubles gold medal in recurve archery at the Asian Para Games on Friday, defeating China's Yun Duo and Zhao Lixue 5-1 in the final. India's women's doubles pair of Bhawna Choudhary and Pooja Jatyan, meanwhile, settled for silver after losing to their Chinese opponents.

Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi delivered a composed performance to secure the men's recurve doubles title at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square. The Indian duo overcame China's Yun Duo and Zhao Lixue 5-1 in the final, combining consistency and accuracy to secure the gold medal.

The final began on an even note, with both teams scoring 35 points in the opening set to share the points. However, the Indian pair raised their performance in the following sets, taking the second 37-36 before producing a score of 38-36 in the third to seal the contest.

The Indians' consistency in the closing stages proved decisive, as the Chinese pair struggled to match their scoring. Harvinder and Vijay maintained their composure under pressure to complete a convincing victory and claim the men's doubles crown.

For Harvinder, the gold adds to an impressive international career that includes success at the Paralympic Games. Vijay, making his debut at the continental event, delivered a strong performance alongside the experienced archer to help India secure the top podium position.

India's women's recurve doubles team of Bhawna Choudhary and Pooja Jatyan had to settle for silver after suffering a 0-6 defeat against China's Gao Zihan and Wang Xueqian in the final.

The Indian pair found it difficult to match the Chinese team's scoring accuracy throughout the contest. China dominated the opening set with 38 points against India's 31, before extending its advantage in the second set with a score of 35-30.

The Chinese duo then sealed the title by winning the third set 39-29, completing a straight-sets victory and denying India the women's doubles gold.

Despite the defeat in the final, Bhawna and Pooja secured the silver medal for India, adding to the country's medal tally in the recurve archery events.

Harvinder also competed in the mixed doubles event alongside Bhawna Choudhary. However, the Indian combination lost its semifinal against China's Zhao Lixue and Wang Xueqian 0-6.

The Indian pair will now compete against Iran for the bronze medal, giving Harvinder another opportunity to add to his medal haul at the continental competition.

The 35-year-old archer has established himself as one of India's leading names in para archery. He won individual gold at the 2018 Asian Para Games before securing a bronze medal in doubles at the 2023 Hangzhou edition, where he partnered Sahil.

Harvinder reached another career milestone at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, winning the individual gold medal after previously claiming bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. His Paris triumph further strengthened his standing in international para archery.

The men's doubles victory underlines India's strength in recurve para archery, with Harvinder's experience complementing Vijay's debut performance. While the women's pair missed out on gold, their silver-medal finish ensured another podium result for the Indian contingent.

With the mixed doubles bronze-medal match still to come, India will look to add another medal as the archery competition progresses.

With PTI inputs