There was something about India’s compound archers on Wednesday at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Mumbai: After a rare 9 from an Indian archer’s bow at the Okazaki Central Park Multipurpose Square, Chikitha Taniparthi let out a little smile turning to the coach stationed behind her. The women were grinning and giggling between ends. The men were high-fiving and first-bumping after matches.
The women’s team, comprising thrice Hangzhou gold medallist Jyothi with Games debutants Chikitha and Prithika Pradeep, just about edged past recurve powerhouses South Korea 234-233 in the semi-final before coming up with a world record-equalling score of 238 in their win over China (234). The mixed event, where South Korea threw down the gauntlet with a world record score in the elimination rounds, could have gone anywhere after being 157-all in the final. Sahil and Chikitha delivered calm 10s in the shoot-off, while Choi Yong-hee sprayed a 9 off the last shot.
“I can speak for myself – I was really having a good time shooting in the final,” Jyothi Surekha Vennam, India’s most experienced and accomplished compound archer, told HT from Aichi.
China, in a rare occurrence, fielded their compound team in every World Cup stage this year. China beat the Indian men’s team in two World Cups in 2026. At the Asian Games, the Indians rallied to down them in the final 238-237, an 8 from a Chinese bow in the last set dragging them down. Sahil Jadhav, Kushal Dalal and Ganesh Thirumuru were producing 10s and Xs with fine frequency, even against South Korea in their 236-229 semi-final win.
“I was just happy and not worried about anything else. I wanted to be there for the team, and for the team to do well. “At these Asian Games, all teams have good archers across both disciplines and all events. And our archers are doing well so far.
“It was an awesome performance,” Jiwanjot Singh Teja, India’s national coach, told HT. “If I like something, I do it happily,” Prithika told HT before the Asian Games. “Our primary aim is to match the five-gold performance in compound and nine medals overall,” Teja, a Dhronacharya awardee, said. “But we’ll do better than the previous time.”
