PTI

Kolkata, Apr 8: Mangal Singh Champia, Jayanta Talukdar and Rahul Banerjee combined to clinch their second successive gold in the men's recurve team event as India signed off with three medals in the Archery World Cup Stage I at Santo Domnigo in Dominican Republic.

The trio had, in the last year's World Cup, earned India the first-ever gold by triumphing in the Meteksan World Cup in Antalya, Turkey.

On the concluding day on Sunday, Dola Banerjee settled for a third place finish in the women's recurve, while women's compound team of Jhano Hansdah, Bheigyabati Chanu and Manjudha Soy also finished second runners-up.

The top-seeded Indian men's recurve team of Champia, Talukdar and Banerjee quelled the challenge from Great Britain 221-215 en route to the yellow metal.

The second seeded Britain team, comprised 1992 Olympic silver medallist Simon Terry, two-time Olympian Laurence Godfrey and World Games silver medallist Alan Wills.

With a six in the first end, the Englishmen were trailing by two after six arrows 53-55. However, they fought back to tie the score at the half-way mark 108-108.

With three 10s in the third end, the Indians took back the lead by one point (164-163). Two eights by Terry and Godfrey and a seven by Wills in the last end shattered their hopes as the trio of Champia, Talukdar and Banerjee bagged their second consecutive World Cup gold.

India had earlier got past Turkey 222-203, the US 219-215 on their way to the summit clash. Great Britain first beat Poland (225-203) and then Mexico (219-217) to set up a final showdown with India.

US settled for the bronze medal, beating Mexico 222-220. Winner of World Cup finals in Dubai (2007), Dola downed her compatriot Reena after an intense battle in the individual recurve bronze medal play-off.

The duo were locked 102-102 after the 12-arrow contest. However, in the tie-breaker, Reena shot a seven while Dola bettered with an eight to take the bronze.

In the team bronze medal play-off in the women's compound section, Hansdah, Chanu and Soy who were seeded fourth stunned the second seeded Venezuela trio of Bosch, Guedez and Montes 219-208.

The next leg of the World Cup, Stage 2, will be held in Porec (Croatia) in May while Antalya and Shanghai (China) will host the third and fourth stages of the meet in June and August respectively.

The World Cup final will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark in September.