Sheetal, Sarita settle for silver after going down to Turkey in World Para Archery C’ships

India’s Sheetal Devi and Sarita clinched the silver medal in the compound women’s open team event at the World Archery Para Championships on Saturday, 27 September, after falling to Turkey in a closely contested final.

The Indian pair started the match on a strong note, edging out the Turkish duo of Oznur Cure Girdi and Bursa Fatma Un 38-37 in the opening end. Sheetal and Sarita displayed remarkable precision, landing three 10s from their first four arrows, while Turkey could manage only a single 10.

The second end, however, saw the Turkish team fight back. Girdi and Un delivered three 10s and a nine, outscoring India by a single point and leveling the match at 76-all.

Nerves appeared to affect the Indian duo in the third end. They managed one 10, two 9s, and an 8, totaling 36, while the Turkish team remained more consistent, scoring 37 with one 10 and three 9s to take a one-point overall lead.

In the final end, the Turkish archers nearly achieved perfection, hitting 39 out of a possible 40. In contrast, India struggled under pressure, scoring 36, including an arrow landing in the 7-ring. Turkey sealed the gold medal with a 152-148 victory, leaving Sheetal Devi and Sarita with the silver.

The performance highlighted India’s competitive presence on the world stage, even as the duo fell just short of the top podium finish.

With PTI inputs