India’s leading recurve archer Deepika Kumari secured her fifth silver medal at the World Cup Final after losing the summit clash 0-6 to China’s Li Jiaman at Tlaxcala in Mexico. 

Deepika, returning after three years in the World Cup due to the birth of her daughter in December 2022, showed consistency as she sailed into the last-four stage easily. 

The four-time Olympian, who was seeded third in the eight-archer field, finally lost to the Paris Olympics team silver medallist in their gold-winning match. 

It was Deepika’s ninth appearance at the World Cup Final where she also bagged a bronze.

Dola Banerjee is the only Indian archer to have won a gold in the World Cup Final, having topped the podium in Dubai in 2007.

In the men’s recurve section, Dhiraj Bommadevara, despite leading 4-2, could not hold off the challenge from South Korea’s Paris Olympics bronze medalist, Lee Woo Seok in the opening round and made an early exit.