The Indian compound men’s archery team scripted history on Sunday, clinching its first-ever gold medal at the World Archery Championships with a thrilling 235-233 victory over France. The trio of Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini, and Prathamesh Fuge showcased nerves of steel in a closely-contested final, coming from behind to etch their names into Indian archery folklore.

France started strong, taking the opening end 59-57, but the Indians struck back with a perfect 60 in the second end to level the contest. The third end saw both teams locked at 59-all, setting up a tense finale. With the scores even after the first three arrows of the fourth end, India held its composure to land three perfect 10s. The French, under immense pressure, could only respond with two 9s and a 10, handing India a narrow but memorable win.

While Rishabh Yadav tasted gold, he narrowly missed out on a second title. Partnering with V. Jyothi Surekha in the compound mixed team final, the Indian pair fell short 155-157 to the Dutch duo of Sanne de Laat and Mike Schloesser in another hard-fought contest. The match saw India lose its early edge as the Netherlands edged them by a single point in the final end.

The men’s triumph capped a dream run for the Indian team, who had dispatched Australia, the USA, and Turkey in the earlier knockout rounds. For Rishabh, the win was especially sweet. The 23-year-old archer, mentored by seasoned campaigner Abhishek Verma, has been India’s standout performer this season with five medals, including two golds in World Cup events and a bronze at the World Games.

For Aman Saini and Prathamesh Fuge, the gold was a long-awaited comeback moment. Both archers returned to the national team after a three-year hiatus and proved their worth on the grandest stage. With all three archers still in contention for individual medals, India’s campaign in Gwangju is far from over — but their golden moment has already made history.