An emotional Simranjeet Kaur proved to be India’s unlikely hero on Friday as she booked a place in the recurve women’s final four at the second stage of the 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai.
Kaur doubled Fong You Jhu’s 10 count of two in the quarterfinal, posting end scores of 27, 28 and 29 to sweep aside her Chinese Taipei opponent in straight sets at Yuanshen Sports Centre, where the wind proved less influential than earlier in the week.
It will be the first World Cup final stage appearance of her career and the emotion was immediate once the result was confirmed, with Kaur wiping away tears before quickly calling her father.
“I just called my dad after the match and I cried because it actually is a big deal for me and it was long-awaited,” said the 27-year-old. “I feel like this is the best thing which can ever happen to an archer who is preparing for each and every World Cup, the bigger events and all the competitions.”
Kaur explained that throughout the day she repeatedly reminded herself to “detach and shoot” in an effort to remove pressure and expectation from each arrow.
“I think 1000 times today I told myself to detach and shoot,” she said. “Detach from the result, detach from the emotions and everything else – just shoot.”
“From match one and arrow one, I kept telling myself to detach and shoot because when you become too attached to the result or where the arrow is going to land, it becomes very difficult,” she said. “I’ve lost many more times when I was too attached before.”
Mental composure is one of the defining challenges at elite events such as the World Cup circuit.
The technical work is established long before competition begins, but the ability to manage pressure in high-stakes situations is something that can only truly be developed through competition itself.
For Kaur, that challenge is intensified further by the demands of India’s selection system.
