Nagoya, Sep 30 (PTI) India’s compound archers displayed admirable poise under pressure to claim gold medals in the women’s team and mixed team events of the Asian Games with the mixed pair of Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav also securing an Olympic quota place for the country following their top finish here on Wednesday.
Both teams successfully retained the crowns that India had won in the previous edition of the Games in Hangzhou.
India thus became the first country to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in the compound mixed team event, which will mark the discipline’s debut in the Los Angeles Games.
Chikitha and Sahil showed nerves of steel to prevail over Korea’s Jungyoon Park and Choi Eun Gyu in a thrilling final, winning 158-157 after a shoot-off.
China’s Fangyao F Wei and Jinyi Liu won the bronze medal.
The Indian duo had entered the gold-medal match after beating Thailand 156-155 in the semifinals.
This was after the Indian women’s compound team produced a sensational performance to outclass the Chinese trio of Wunier, Yue Wang and Fangyao Wei 238-234 and retain its gold with a world record-equalling score.
Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha and Prithika Pradeep dominated the women’s summit clash to secure the top spot on the podium. Of these, Jyothi was a part of the Hangzhou gold-wining women’s team as well.
“We pushed each other and kept telling each other that we have to give our best. Even if we had one bad shot, a nine score, we kept bucking each other up and saying ‘Get back to what you know best and keep focusing on that’,” said Prithika after the final.
“I know it’s a big tournament, but at the end of the day it’s the same people, it’s the same archery that I have to shoot. So I was just focusing on that to be honest. But it feels really good to win gold with my teammates,” she added.
The Indians equalled the world record held by South Korea in achieving the feat. Korea had secured the record total during the Incheon Asian Games in 2014.
The team gold was a redemption of sorts for Jyothi, who had stunningly failed to defend her individual crown after a pre-quarterfinal loss to 14-year-old Korean sensation Kang Yeon-seo.
The South Korean team comprising Park Jungyoon, Park Yerin and Kang Yeonseo defeated Chinese Taipei to win the bronze medal.
“The competition was very good, both in the semifinal and final matches. We performed very well as a team and won the gold medal, so I feel very good,” Jyothi said.
In the mixed team event, Games debutant Chikitha and Sahil started strongly, taking a 40-39 lead after producing a series of perfect 10s. They extended the advantage to two points by the second end.
A slip from Chikitha, who hit a 9, reduced India’s lead to one point, with the Indian pair ahead at 118-117 after the third end.
Korea then produced a perfect score, leaving India needing two perfect 10s from their final two shots to win.
Chikitha again stumbled to a 9, but Sahil held his nerve to find the bull’s eye and level the scores, forcing a shoot-off.
In the shoot-off, Chikitha and Sahil both struck 10s, while Choi could only manage a 9, sealing the gold for India.
“This is my first Asian Games and I won mixed and team medals. I could not have asked for more,” said Chikitha.
“I did not have much time after the women’s team gold to the mixed final. I was in a rush and we just got time to sit there and prepare ourselves.”
In the fourth round before the shoot-off, Chikitha and Sahil shot a 9 each.
Asked about the slip, she said, “I was like, what will happen next? In the shoot-off, I was like, I have to give my best. I tried to be calm and followed my process.
“Then I shot a 10. After shooting that, I felt like I didn’t shoot so close. Things were running in my mind but we got the gold.”
She said she was trying not to think too much about the women’s team gold that she was a part of during the mixed team final.
“I was not thinking about all of the things. I was just thinking in the team matches, how I was shooting. And how I can do better in the next matches.”
Earlier in the women’s team final, the Indian trio brought its ‘A’ game to the fore, taking the opening end 60-58 with a series of perfect 10s.
The defending champions continued to dominate, taking the second end 60-58 to extend their lead before consolidating their position further at 178-176 heading into the final end.
China crumbled under pressure with two 9s, while India produced yet another perfect round with six perfect 10s to not only defend the title but also equal the world record.
India had won five gold medals in archery at the last edition, including the compound mixed team event. PTI PDS ATK PM PDS PM
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