National archery championships | M.P. women triumph

Haryana wins the men’s crown

A young Madhya Pradesh side pipped an accomplished Jharkhand outfit 5-4 via shoot-off to claim its maiden recurve women’s team title at the 40th NTPC National archery championships here on Friday.

Madhya Pradesh, consisting of Amey Rai, Vitasha Thakur and Soniya Thakur, shot closer to the centre in a 28-28 shoot-off score line after tying 4-4 with the host, comprising India team regulars Komalika Bari and Ankita Bhakat and Dipti Kumari, in the final.

Tense victories via shoot-offs over Punjab (5-4, 26-24) in the quarterfinals and Rajasthan (5-4, 26-25) in the semifinals prepared the Madhya Pradesh archers — who are products of the Madhya Pradesh Archery Academy in Jabalpur — to hold their nerve in the most crucial moment of the final.