Golden hat-trick: India sweep compound archery team titles

• India sweep all three compound archery team golds at the Asian Games, defending the men’s, women’s and mixed team titles

• Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav win the mixed team gold in a shoot-off against South Korea and secure India’s first 2028 Olympic quota in the event

• The women’s team equal the world record with 238 points, while the men’s team edge China 238-237

India’s compound archers delivered a remarkable display of consistency and composure under pressure on Wednesday, completing a clean sweep of the men’s, women’s and mixed team gold medals at the Asian Games.

The three victories saw India successfully defend all three team titles and capped a memorable day for the country’s compound archery contingent.

The biggest milestone came in the mixed team event, where Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav secured an Olympic quota place for India with their gold-medal finish. India became the first country to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in the compound mixed team event, which will make its Olympic debut at the Games.

The day began with the Indian women’s team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha and Prithika Pradeep retaining its title in emphatic fashion. The defending champions defeated China’s Wunier, Yue Wang and Fangyao Wei 238-234, equalling the world record for the event.

India opened the final strongly, taking a 60-58 lead in the first end with a series of perfect 10s. The trio maintained its advantage in the second end, again winning it 60-58, before entering the final end with a 178-176 lead.

China struggled under pressure in the closing stage, registering two 9s, while the Indian trio produced six consecutive 10s to seal the victory and match the world-record score of 238 set by South Korea at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

For Jyothi, the victory provided a measure of redemption after she was knocked out in the individual event by 14-year-old South Korean sensation Kang Yeon-seo while attempting to defend her title.

The Indian men then completed the sweep in a closely fought final against China. Kushal Dalal, Sahil Jadhav and Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru held their nerve to defeat Jiahao Liao, Jinyi Liu and Jingyu Shi 238-237.

China led at various stages, but the Indian trio maintained its composure in the decisive moments to retain the men’s team title.

Sahil, who was also part of the mixed team gold earlier in the day, said the team’s confidence and trust in one another helped them handle the pressure.

“We were so confident when we were playing team matches. I have trust in my teammates, they have trust in me. We will shoot our best in any condition,” Sahil said.

The mixed team final provided the most dramatic finish of the day. Asian Games debutants Chikitha and Sahil faced South Korea’s Jungyoon Park and Choi Eun Gyu in a tense contest that ended 157-157 after four ends, forcing a shoot-off.

India started strongly, taking a 40-39 lead after the opening end and extending it to two points in the second. A 9 from Chikitha in the third end reduced the advantage, leaving India ahead 118-117.

South Korea then produced a perfect score, putting the Indian pair under intense pressure. India needed two perfect 10s from its final two shots to win outright. Chikitha hit another 9, but Sahil responded with a crucial 10 to level the scores and force a shoot-off.

Under the added pressure, both Indian archers found the centre with 10s. Choi could only manage a 9, handing India the gold and the Olympic quota place.

For Chikitha, the result capped an extraordinary day in which she won two gold medals.

“This is my first Asian Games and I won mixed and team medals. I could not have asked for more,” she said.

She acknowledged the limited recovery time between the women’s team final and the mixed team contest, saying she had little time to prepare mentally for the second final.

The victory also highlighted Chikitha’s ability to recover from her late error. She said she focused on following her process in the shoot-off rather than dwelling on the previous shot.

India’s compound archery success builds on its strong showing at the previous Asian Games, where the country won five gold medals in archery, including the compound mixed team title.

With the men’s, women’s and mixed team crowns now successfully defended, India’s compound archers have once again underlined their dominance in the discipline while securing an early qualification milestone for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

With PTI inputs