Prathamesh Jawkar makes biggest upset of his career, shocking world number one Mike Schloesser
Published Date – Sat 5/20/23 10:30pm
Prathamesh Jawkar makes biggest upset of his career, shocking world number one Mike Schloesser
Shanghai: Teenage Indian archer Prathamesh Jawkar produced the biggest upset of his rising career as world number one Mike Schloesser of the Netherlands stunned to claim his first World Cup gold in the men’s individual composite segment here on Saturday.
India picked up two gold medals in the non-Olympic combined event as the mixed duo of Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam opened up the country’s table by beating top-seeded South Koreans in World Cup Stage 2.
It was a back-to-back World Cup gold medal in mixed pairs won in Antalya last month.
Pratamesh, who previously eliminated the South Korean combination Kim Jong-ho and Choi Yong-hee, continued to kill the Quartet in the men’s compound individual final, defeating the Dutch 149-148.
The 19-year-old conceded just one point from 15 arrows in his win over the two-time former world champion, showing his incredible shooting at the highest level.
The one-run miss came in the first inning, as the two Archers remained tied after a 29-run start.
They were on target with ease in the second, third and fourth innings, before the 29-year-old Dutchman finally faltered in the fifth, striking nine to hand his first World Cup gold This Indian boy.
India’s mixed duo of Deotale and Jyothi continued their dream run, shocking the South Korean heavyweights early on with back-to-back World Cup gold medals.
The pair developed their newfound chemistry to beat top-seeded South Korea 156-155 with aplomb.
The Indian duo and veteran South Korean duo Kim Jong-ho and Oh Yu-hyun shot 39 of 40 in their first three starts.
The South Koreans crumbled under pressure in the final as Deotale and Jyothi shot another 39 to seal their back-to-back World Cup gold medals.
After an early exit in the individual competition, Jyoti got off to a perfect start in the final, although her 20-year-old partner struggled for a perfect 10.
However, when Jyothi missed 10 twice, Ojas complemented well and played his best as the duo showed perfect chemistry at the highest level.
Locking in 117-117 going into the final innings, Jyothi shot a 10 with her last arrow, while Oh Yoohyun’s last arrow needed to be measured to confirm the Indians’ victory.
“Throughout the World Cup, our coordination and shooting process were very good. In the final, we also focused on the shooting process,” Jyothi said.
Jyothi is now off to a strong start to the 2023 World Cup season with three gold medals, including one in the individual stages of Antalya.
With the World Archery Championships in Berlin in a few months, the Vijayawada archer’s dream is now coming true.
“The World Championships is the most important event for us. Winning the gold medal is a huge boost to our confidence. We hope to continue this momentum,” she added.
