Young Archer Gatha Khadake: A Flicker of Hope for India's Recurve Future

At the World Championships, India's recurve archers failed to secure a medal, with young Gatha Khadake eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals. Despite the loss, Gatha's spirited debut run sparks optimism for the future. India's last recurve medal was in 2019, highlighting ongoing struggles in the discipline.

India's quest for a world medal in recurve archery continues, as 15-year-old Gatha Khadake was defeated by world No. 1 Lim Si-hyeon in the pre-quarterfinals. This marks another missed opportunity in the Olympic discipline at the World Championships on Friday.

The young archer faced a swift 6-0 defeat against the Korean triple gold medallist from the Paris Olympics, amid raucous support for Lim in her homeland. Despite the lopsided result, Gatha's bold entry into the last 16 during her debut at the Worlds provides a glimmer of hope for Indian archery.

India's previous world medal in recurve archery came in 2019 with the men's team's silver. Current struggles were also exemplified by Deepika Kumari's early exit and Dhiraj Bommadevara failing to progress past his opening match. Meanwhile, India's compound archers achieved success, securing a historic first-ever men's team gold.

(With inputs from agencies.)