CHENNAI: India’s ace women’s compound archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam’s bronze medal from the Archery World Cup finals in Nanjing last year has been upgraded to silver, after finals winner Mariana Bernal tested positive for an anabolic steroid according to International Testing Agency (ITA). Reportedly, the Mexican tested positive for nandrolone in an out-of-competition test in September last year, three weeks after winning women’s team compound gold in the 2025 World Archery Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. Nandrolone is prohibited under the World Anti Doping Agency’s (WADA) as Anabolic Androgenic Steroids.
“The athlete did not challenge her Anti-Doping Rules Violation (ADRV) and agreed with the consequences for her ADRV under the WA anti-doping rules as proposed by the ITA,” the agency, in a statement released on July 2, said. Due to her early admission of the violation, her ban period is cut down to three years. However, she will not take part in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
This ruling will make Bernal's compatriot and World No 1 Andrea Becerra the new finals gold medallist.
While Surekha had captured her long-awaited individual medal in the World Cup finals by beating Ella Gibson for bronze, the upgrade to silver will be a delight for her. She confirmed this development to this daily from Madrid, the host city for the Archery World Cup stage-4. “We have been told that it is updated in the ranking points,” she said. It remains to be seen whether World Archery, the global governing body for the sport, would hand her the silver medal.
All eyes on new coach ahead of World Cup Stage-4
After a forgettable show in previous stages of this year’s world cup, Indian compound archers will have to lift themselves in the fourth and final stage of the Archery World Cup ahead of the all-important Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
After his appointment in May, former archer Dave Cousins gets his first assignment as Indian compound archer. The American inherits an inconsistent side, which once was the world's most feared compound unit.From three World Cup stages this season, India have managed just one gold and a bronze. Their lowest point came at Antalya last month when the compound contingent returned empty-handed. Contrastingly, in 2023, during the build-up to the Hangzhou Games, India amassed seven gold, one silver and four bronze medals across four World Cup stages.