Para archers focus on Hangzhou 2022 APG gold after Mixed Team silver in Dubai 2022 Worlds

Dubai: It was a case of so near yet so far as the compound pair of Shyam Sundar Swami and Jyoti Baliyan narrowly missed out on their first ever Worlds title, squandering a two-end lead to go down 150-148 to RAF in the mixed team final.

Playing the first finals at the Dubai 2022 Championships, the pair started on a strong note leading the first two ends, with two Xs coming in the second end as the scores read 78-76 in the halfway stage.

However, the RAF archers of Bair Shigaev, Paralympic bronze medallist, and Tatiana Andrievskaia put up a steadier performance in the third end, which had three 9s and a 10, to equal the scores at 113-all.

The last quarter was about nerves and India faltered with a 7 in the final arrow while RAF got a perfect 10.

“When I saw the podium going into the final match, it gave me a special feeling. I was in my top form and confident of getting that Gold. We shot with precision but in the end, we faltered. It was a gust of wind where he missed out. But that’s what the sport is about; just one bad shot and it is over. But this medal is a big motivation for the entire team,” Shyam Sundar told the Paralympic Committee of India.

For Jyoti, it was a heartbreak. “We could have won the gold. We were so close. All my focus was on winning the gold. But we fell short.”

Great Support System

An emotional national coach Kuldeep Kumar added: “The pair did well but it wasn’t just enough. In the end, it came down to the nerves. We will go back home and work harder and come back stronger to take the gold in next events including the Asian Para Games 2022 in Hangzhou.”

“It's always good to start the season with a medal and this is India's first ever medal at the World Championships. This is definitely a proud moment; we came here to win medals and we are hoping to go back with more medals. This result has been possible because of a great support system and facilities including the training with focus on Sports Science,” he highlighted.

Arm-less archer Stutzman gets his first Worlds title

Meanwhile, USA’s arm-less archer Matt Stutzman says he felt like being “on the top of world” after clinching his first individual Worlds title at the Dubai 2022 Championships.

Stutzman, the London 2012 Paralympic silver medallist, shot two perfect 10s and an X in the fourth end to win the individual compound men open final against another arm-less arch Gombozhapov Aleksandr from Russian Archery Federation 142-138. In fact, Stutzman led from start to finish saving his best for the final end.

This was definitely an “emotional win” for the USA archer just months after his early exit at the Tokyo 2020 Games. And he called the Dubai 2022 victory “Amazing.” “I feel like I ‘m on the top of the world."

In other final matches, Iran took the men’s doubles gold defeating Australia 145-143. Turkey took the first medal at the Championships winning the women’s doubles gold 150-149 over RAF.