The Indian women’s compound archery team continued its strong international presence by winning the gold medal at the Archery World Cup 2026 Puebla stage in Mexico. Led by veteran archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam, the Indian trio — Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Madhura Dhamangaonkar and Pragati — defeated the United States 233-232 in a thrilling final to secure the Archery World Cup gold.
Close Shoot-Off and Tactical Brilliance in Compound Women’s Team Final
In a match underscored by nerves and precision, the Indian women’s compound team overcame a strong USA squad comprising Alexis Ruiz, Paige Pearce and Olivia Dean. India produced a strong opening end of 59-58, but trailed after the second (114-117) and third ends (173-174). In the final end, India executed six perfect arrows to recover and win the gold by a single point, underscoring their mental toughness and scoring consistency.
Performance Highlights and Records
This gold represents India’s first medal at the 2026 Archery World Cup stage in Puebla and extends the country’s success in the women’s compound category across World Cup events. India’s win continues a trend of strong finishes in World Cup stages, delivering another podium moment for Indian archery.
Leading the charge, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, a seasoned international compound archer with previous World Cup successes and a mixed team world record to her name, anchored the team with calm under pressure. Madhura Dhamangaonkar, known for her strong elimination round performances, also played a key role in India’s march to gold.
In post-match reactions, Team India highlighted the importance of composure and teamwork. “We believed in each other and stuck to our plan when it mattered most,” a team member said, reflecting the collective focus that led to India’s narrow victory.
Archery World Cup 2026 Puebla Context
The Archery World Cup 2026 is the 20th edition of World Archery’s global circuit, with Puebla hosting the Stage 1 competition from April 7–12. This season’s World Cup circuit is an important benchmark ahead of major events like the Asian Games later in the year.
India’s golden performance in the women’s compound team event was a high point in an otherwise mixed campaign, with recurve and men’s compound teams falling short of medal rounds in Puebla.
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