India's Archery and Combat Sports Shine at Asian Games

Archery: Mixed Fortunes for India

At the Asian Games, India's Chikitha Taniparthi advanced to the quarterfinals in the women's compound individual event, while her teammate Jyothi Surekha Vennam faced elimination after a defeat to 14-year-old South Korean archery prodigy Kang Yeonseo on Day 9. Chikitha triumphed over Chen Yi-Hsuan from Chinese Taipei in a thrilling round-of-16 match, where both archers ended regulation tied at 148-148. In the shoot-off, Chikitha secured her victory by hitting the bullseye, while Chen's arrow, although in the 10-ring, missed the center. Earlier, Chikitha had overcome Bhutan's Dorji Dolma in the round of 32 and is set to compete against Indonesia's Nurisa Dian Ashrifah in the quarterfinals.

On the other hand, Jyothi's journey concluded when Kang achieved a perfect score of 150, defeating Jyothi 150-146. Jyothi had previously won against Kazakhstan's Adel Zhexenbinova in the round of 32.

Medals Assured in Kurash and Boxing

India also secured medals in kurash and boxing on the same day. Pincky Balhara triumphed over South Korea's Lim Garam with a score of 3-0 in the women's 78kg quarterfinal, ensuring a medal. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain also clinched a podium finish by defeating South Korea's Seong Suyeon in the women's 75kg quarterfinal.

Men's Compound Archery

In the men's compound archery event, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru edged past compatriot Sahil Jadhav with a score of 149-148 in the round of 16, advancing to the quarterfinals. Ganesh had previously defeated Indonesia's Sostar Andaru Rinaldi 144-142, while Sahil had a solid win against Mongolia's Jamiyangombo Purevdorj, finishing 149-137 in the round of 32.

Success in Team Events

India's men's cricket quarterfinal against Afghanistan was called off due to rain, allowing India to progress to the semifinals based on their higher seeding. The men's volleyball team achieved a convincing 3-0 victory over Hong Kong, and the women's squash team also triumphed against China with a 3-0 win in their team event.

Shooting Updates

In shooting events, Neeru topped the women's trap qualifying after Day 2, with Manisha Keer in 21st place and Aashima Ahlawat in 23rd. In the men's trap, Shapath Bharadwaj secured fifth place, followed by Kynan Chenai in 19th and Ahvar Rizvi in 32nd.

The trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Rahi Sarnobat finished fifth in the women's 25m pistol individual team final, qualifying for the individual final.

Other Results

In other competitions, India's Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale were defeated in their women's doubles opener by Kazakhstan's Anna Danilina and Yuliya Putinseva. The women's sepaktakraw team was eliminated after a 1-2 loss to Japan. Surfer Kishore Kumar Anbarasu won against China's Ma Wensong with a score of 9.86-8.80 in the men's shortboard round three, while Sivaraj Babu lost to the Philippines' Alciso Jayuard with a score of 7.83-11.50.

As of now, India ranks 12th in the medal tally with a total of 38 medals, comprising four gold, 16 silver, and 18 bronze.