Date:02/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/02/stories/2004050207261800.htm

Sport - Archery

Indian challenge ends

KOLKATA, MAY 1. The Indian campaign in the first European Grand Prix archery championship came to an end on Saturday at Rovereto in Italy with both men and women's teams being ousted in the round of 16 in the team championship.

Fourteenth ranked Indian men lost to third ranked Ukraine 237-244, while the seventh ranked women lost to 10th ranked France 226-228. All the Indians went out of the individual elimination round on Friday.

According to information reaching here, the United States, ranked fifth, took the men's team gold medal defeating Ukraine 240-238. Top-seeded Italy settled for the bronze medal beating second ranked the Netherlands 251-236. Top-ranked China took the women's team gold medal relegating second ranked Italy to the silver position at 243-234. Malaysia overcame Ukraine for the bronze medal 238-234.

Men's top seed Alten van Wietse of the Netherlands emerged the individual champion stopping the giant killing act of 47th ranked German Michael Frankenberg in the final with a 108-106 verdict. Ukraine's Viktor Ruban took the bronze medal beating Nash Roy of Great Britain 110-107. China's top-ranked Zhang Janjuan lost to seventh ranked Jennifer Nichols of the U.S. in the women's individual final. Jennifer won 108-101.

There were some cheers for the 14-member Indian contingent as Dola Banerjee finished a creditable sixth in the overall ranking in the women's section. Her compatriot, Chekrovolu Swuro, a replacement for National champion Sumangla Sharma, ended joint 41st with three others while the other Indian Reena Kumari was joint 45th with three others.

Among the men, Viswas attained a rank of joint 22nd while India's best archer Satyadev Prasad was joint 29th with three others. The other four, Tarundeep Rai, Majhi Sawaiyan, Harish Chand Kerai and Mukesh Khillare, failed to figure among the first 64 qualifiers.