Indian archers win silver and bronze in recurve team events, end 13-year wait
Hangzhou (PTI): A 13-year wait ended in archery on Friday when the Indian men's and women's teams surpassed expectations to clinch a silver and bronze respectively, their first medals since 2010, at the Asian Games here on Friday.
Battling injuries, the recurve team of Ankita Bhakat, Simranjeet Kaur and Bhajan Kaur defied odds to clinch a bronze medal in the morning session.
The fifth-seeded women's trio dropped just one set to down their Vietnamese rivals 6-2 (56-52, 55-56, 57-50, 51-48) and secure their first-ever Asian Games medal in the Olympic-discipline category since Guangzhou 2010.
The women's team's splendid show then rubbed off on their male counterparts as the triumvirate of Atanu Das, Tushar Shelke, and Dhiraj Bommadevara returned with a silver medal.
They defeated Bangladesh's Sagor Islam, Hakim Rubel and Ruman Shana 5-3 (58-51, 57-54, 56-58, 57-57) in a lopsided semifinal.
But up against heavyweights South Korea in the gold medal clash, the Indian trio faltered 5-1 (55-60, 57-57, 55-56). The Indians had a splendid second set, drawing level to make it 1-3.
In the third set, the Koreans slipped to the 8-ring but that did not matter much as Lee Wooseok, Oh Jinhyek and Kim Je Deok pipped India by a point to take the third set and seal the gold.
The last time India had won a medal in recurve category at the Asian Games was 13 years ago when they bagged an individual silver and team bronze medals in men's and women's events.
For India, this was their record eighth medal overall in archery at the ongoing games. They have already won three team gold medals in mixed, women's and men's events of the non-Olympic compound section.
Abhishek Verma and Ojas Deotale are vying for a top-two finish, having made it an all-India final in compound individual section.
Jyothi Surekha Vennam has also advanced into the women's compound individual final, assuring at least a silver medal.
The fifth-seeded Indian women's team started the day on a positive manner ousting higher-ranked Japan 6-2 (53-49, 56-54, 53-54, 54-51) in the quarterfinals to seal a clash against heavyweights South Korea.
Boasting triple Olympic gold winner from Tokyo, An San, the top-seeded Koreans were the next in line but the Indians managed to snatch one set from the top-seed before going down 2-6 (54-56, 54-57, 57-55, 52-57).
In the bronze playoff, 18-year-old Bhajan Kaur, who is battling a shoulder injury for more than a year, stood out with six 10s from her eight arrows as they overcame lower-ranked Vietanmese in a dramatic finish.
Do Thi Anh Nguyet, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhi and Hoang Phuong Thao bounced back from 0-2 behind to make it 2-2 and the Indians then regained the lead with Bhajan drilling in two 10s in the penultimate end.
Indian shot last in the final set and they needed 21 points from final three arrows.
Shooting second Simranjeet Kaur, who too carried a shoulder niggle, slipped to the six-ring.
Bhajan, who shot last among the trio, needed a seven to seal the bronze. The teenager showed amazing calmness to come up with an 8 to end the 13-year wait.
"It was a very important medal for us. We have been practising for a lot of years and it's very valuable for us and I'm very happy," said Simranjeet.
On handling pressure, she said: "Because when you are shooting for something, it's a pressure situation. But we as a team, we just focused on ourselves."
In men's event later in the day, seniormost Atanu Das fumbled twice before coming up with a perfect 10 in the shoot-off as India overcame some jittery moments to go past 11th seeded Mongolia 5-4 (58-52, 55-56, 59-56, 56-58) (28-25) in the quarterfinal.
The match had its ups and downs with India losing their lead twice to Mongolia when Das hit in the red-ring in the second and four set.
But the two-time Olympian, who starts first among the Indian trio, was a picture of calmness in the shootoff hitting a 10 as they totalled 28.
Mongolia, who were to shoot last, crumbled under pressure and shot their last arrow in the outer seven-ring.
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2nd phase of Bengal poll: 39.97 per cent polling till 11 am amid sporadic violence
Kolkata (PTI): Nearly 40 per cent of the 3.21 crore electors voted till 11 am of the second phase of polling in West Bengal amid sporadic violence, while tension gripped the Bhabanipur seat briefly as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari took swipes at one another in the same booth area.
Voters queued up from 7 am outside booths in Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas and Purba Bardhaman districts, which form Bengal's electoral and political core.
Of the total electorate eligible to vote in this phase, 1.57 crore are women, and 792 are third-gender.
Till 11 am, West Bengal recorded 39.97 per cent polling with Purba Bardhaman registering the highest turnout at 44.50 per cent, followed by Hooghly at 43.12 per cent and Nadia at 40.34 per cent.
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Howrah recorded 39.45 per cent polling, while North 24 Parganas registered 38.43 per cent. Kolkata North and Kolkata South recorded 38.39 per cent and 36.78 per cent turnout, respectively.
South 24 Parganas, a politically crucial district witnessing several high-profile contests, recorded 37.9 per cent voting.
The first phase of polls in 152 Assembly seats of West Bengal on April 23 also recorded more than 41 per cent polling till 11 am.
"Polling is underway peacefully, barring some minor incidents in certain areas. We have sought reports from the officials concerned," a poll panel official said.
The early-morning convergence of Banerjee and Adhikari at the same booth area in Chakraberia turned Bhabanipur -- the chief minister's electoral bastion -- into the centrepiece of the day, reinforcing the symbolic weight of their prestige battle seen as a rematch of Nandigram, where the BJP leader had defeated her in 2021.
Banerjee was already seated outside the booth after receiving complaints of alleged intimidation of local TMC leaders when Adhikari arrived there amid heavy deployment of central forces.
Stepping out of his car, Adhikari declared, "I will not allow any hooliganism", while Banerjee accused the BJP of trying to "rig" the election using central forces, police observers and election officials.
"BJP wants to rig this election. Polls in Bengal are usually peaceful. Is there goonda raj here?" Banerjee told reporters, alleging CRPF personnel had visited the homes of TMC leaders late Tuesday night and unleashed terror in the area.
She alleged that election observers were acting at the BJP's behest and claimed TMC workers were being selectively targeted across districts.
Adhikari dismissed the charges as signs of "frustration", claiming Banerjee had realised that "not a single vote" was coming her way.
Banerjee, who usually steps out of her Kalighat residence late in the day to cast her vote at Mitra Institution School, broke convention and hit the ground before 8 am, moving through Chetla, Padmapukur and Chakraberia, underlining the stakes attached to Bhabanipur and the wider battle for south Bengal.
Reports of violence, vandalism and tension surfaced from several districts.
In Nadia district's Chapra, a BJP polling agent was allegedly assaulted inside a booth during a mock poll. The BJP accused TMC supporters of attacking its agent, while the ruling party denied the charge. In Shantipur, a BJP camp office was found vandalised.
In South 24 Pargana's Bhangar, the ISF alleged that its polling agents were prevented from entering booths.
Howrah's Bally constituency saw tension at a booth in Liluah after an EVM malfunction delayed voting, prompting central forces to lathi-charge agitated voters. Two people were arrested in the matter.
Police and RAF personnel were also seen chasing away crowds near a booth in Amdanga following complaints of unlawful gathering by bike-borne supporters.
In Panihati, BJP candidate Ratna Debnath, the mother of the RG Kar victim, faced protests and her car was allegedly stopped by TMC workers, while in Jagaddal, the recovery of a firearm near a polling booth triggered tension before police and central forces restored order.
BJP candidate from Basanti assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas, Bikash Sardar, on Wednesday, alleged that "200-250 TMC goons" attacked his car and assaulted his driver when he was visiting polling booths in the constituency.
The TMC did not immediately respond to the allegations.
Unlike the first phase, where the BJP sought to defend its north Bengal gains, the final round has shifted the battle squarely to the TMC's strongest belt.
In 2021, the ruling party had won 123 of these 142 seats, leaving just 18 for the BJP and one for the ISF. For the BJP, breaching this southern fortress remains critical if it hopes to mount a serious challenge for power in the state.
