Jyothi Surekha and Abhishek Verma | File Photo
India scripted history as the duo of Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam defeated the French pair of Jean Boulch and Sophie Dodemont 152-149 to win India its maiden World Cup gold in the compound mixed team archery event on Saturday.
The gold also opened the account of Indian archers, who have assured the second medal in the women's recurve team event where the trio of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Simranjeet Kaur will fight for the yellow metal on Sunday.
Making a comeback after more than seven months, world no. 3 Jyothi, who was sidelined in the Asian Games trial, is also in the hunt for another medal as she takes on French veteran Sophie in the individual semifinal later in the day.
A Beijing Olympics bronze medalist, Sophie switched to compound discipline after failing to make the 2012 London Olympics squad.
The third-seeded Indians got off to a flier, drilling in four 10s that included two Xs to race to a three-point lead and put early pressure on the French pair.
The Indians managed just one 10 in the second end as the French duo reduced the deficit to one point.
The third was a tie, while in the deciding fourth end, Abhishek and Jyothi held their nerves to edge out their opponents by two points to annexe the title.
The most successful Indian compound pair of Abhishek and Jyothi have a handful of World Cup bronze medals, and their best has been a World Cup Final silver at Yankton last year.
(Inputs PTI)
