Rajat Chauhan earned India’s first-ever individual medal in the World Archery Championships when the compound marksman bagged a silver after going down to home favourite Stephan Hansen in the final. The 2014 Asian Games team gold medallist was neck-and-neck with his opponent till the third set. Hansen gained a three-point lead before wrapping up the issue 147-143 in a fiercely contested individual men’s compound final. Women’s recurve team of Deepika Kumari, Chekrovolu Swuro and Laishram Bombayla Devi had won India a World Championship medal in 2011.
India are assured of another medal, as the women’s recurve team comprising of Deepika Kumari, Rimil Buriuly and Laxmirani Majhi clash for the gold with Russia.
Facts About Archery
- Archery is considered to be one of the oldest sports in the world.
- The word archery is derived from the word arcus, a Latin term that means bow and arrows.
- In the 1900 Summer Olympics live pigeons were used as the target in archery competition.
- In the 1904 Olympics, archery was the only women’s sport.
- Bhutan is the only country in the world that considers archery their national sport.
- Another name for an archer is a “toxophilite.”
