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Indian archer Abhishek Verma portrayed his exceptional skills by claiming the coveted gold medal during stage three of the Archery World Cup 2023. The event is taking place in Medellin, Colombia, and witnessed Abhishek competing in his first World Cup of the year.
The 33-year-old archer gave tough times to James Lutz of the USA, who had bagged the champion title back in 2019. In a thrilling final, Verma secured the victory by 148-146.
Opening up on the achievement, the athlete urged his happiness saying that it does not matter to him whoever comes as his opponent. He added that his core focus is 'give his best.'
“I’m very happy, I was remembering the good old days. It doesn’t matter who your opponent is, I just wanted to focus on my shooting and give my best.”
Archery World Cup: Abhishek Verma bags first gold medal after two years
Verma, who also won a silver medal in the 2014 Asian Games archery, won the third individual gold medal in the Archery World Cup. It was his first gold medal since winning the top prize, two years ago, in Paris.
Throughout the tournament, Verma exhibited his remarkable talent, dominating the quarterfinal as well. In the match, he faced a top-rated archer, Mike Schloesser from the Netherlands. He emerged victorious after a tied score of 148-148, triumphing in a thrilling shoot-off.
Abhishek Verma progressed with his exceptional skills in the semifinal, where he faced off against Luccas Abreu from Brazil. Verma inspired the lookouts with a score of 148-143, setting the stage for his pivotal conflict with James Lutz, the second-seeded rival.
Abhishek Verma will now battle Prathamesh Jawkar in the showdown of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Mexico. The big day has been scheduled for September 2023.
Out of luck, no fellow from the country managed to advance beyond the quarterfinal stage. However, India's archers have pictured their intense prospect, leaving a memorable mark on the prestigious World Cup.
