India Dominates Compound Archery at Asian Games with Triple Gold
India's Archery Triumph
File image of women archer team Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam
(Photo: @TheKhelIndia/X)
Okazaki, Sep 30: India achieved a remarkable feat by winning all three gold medals in compound archery at the Asian Games, showcasing their prowess in the sport with victories in the women's, mixed, and men's team events.
The historic achievement began with the women's team, consisting of Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep, and Jyothi Surekha Vennam, who successfully defended their title. Following this, Chikitha and Sahil Jadhav clinched a thrilling mixed team victory against South Korea. The men's team, featuring Kushal Dalal, Sahil Jadhav, and Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru, completed the clean sweep by narrowly defeating China in a nail-biting final.
India's day was marked by three distinct victories: a world-record-equalling performance in the women's final, a tense shoot-off in the mixed team event, and a dramatic comeback in the men's final.
The women's team set the stage by overcoming China with a score of 238-234. After securing silver in 2018 and bronze in 2014, they successfully retained the gold they won in the previous edition.
The Indian trio matched the world record of 238 set by South Korea during the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. After taking an early lead, Chikitha, Prithika, and Jyothi maintained their composure, finishing with a perfect final end to prevent China from closing the gap.
The mixed team final was much more dramatic. Chikitha and Sahil ended regulation tied at 157-157 with South Korea's Park Jungyoon and Choi Yonghee. In the shoot-off, both Indian archers hit the 10-ring, while Choi managed only a nine, securing another gold for India.
This victory also earned India a quota spot for the mixed team event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where compound archery will make its Olympic debut.
Chikitha secured her second gold of the Games, having already contributed to the women's team victory, while Sahil celebrated his first gold.
India completed the sweep in the men's team final, where China initially seemed to have the upper hand.
Kushal, Sahil, and Ganesh trailed 58-60 after the first end and were still behind at the halfway mark. China extended its lead to 179-178 after three ends, leaving India with little margin for error.
However, the Indian trio responded with a flawless final end. China faltered with an eight on their opening arrow, allowing India to take the lead, which proved crucial. Despite China finishing strong with three consecutive 10s, India triumphed with a score of 238-237.
This victory marked India's hat-trick of compound gold medals, showcasing the archers' ability to perform under pressure.
India's clean sweep further solidifies their impressive record in compound archery at the Asian Games. At Hangzhou 2023, Indian compound archers secured all five available gold medals, while the recurve teams added a silver and a bronze.
With these three golds, India has reaffirmed its dominance in compound archery at the Asian Games. The focus now shifts to the individual events, with Ganesh and Chikitha among the Indian archers set to compete in the individual quarterfinals on Thursday.
As compound archery awaits its Olympic debut, India's performance in Okazaki adds another significant chapter to its success story at the Asian Games.