Indian Women’s Compound Archery: From World Champions to Asian Games Gold Medalists
The Indian women’s compound archery team arrived in Hangzhou as reigning world champions, and they are leaving as Asian Games gold medalists. While their victory might have been expected given their impressive pedigree, it was anything but routine; it was a hard-fought battle filled with challenges.
Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami, and Parneet Kaur continued India’s dominance of compound archery at the Games for the third consecutive day. So far, we’ve witnessed an all-Indian semifinal, an all-Indian final showdown, and a mixed team gold medal victory. However, Thursday morning presented a new challenge in the form of gusty wind speeds that disrupted their usually impeccable shots, combined with the immense pressure of trailing early in the final.
Facing off against Chinese Taipei in the final, the Indian archers had a tough start. In the first end, they managed only one perfect 10 out of six arrows, with Jyothi being the lone archer to hit the center circle. Despite one errant shot, their opponents took a two-point lead with a score of 56-54.
The pressure was palpable as India, the favorites, found themselves trailing, while Chinese Taipei, fresh off an upset victory over South Korea, continued with three more perfect 10s. In contrast, India had two more 9s in their scorecard. Halfway through the final, India was already facing trouble.
The next three arrows would prove pivotal:
India – 10, 10, 10. Chinese Taipei – 9, 9, 7.
India displayed remarkable composure and teamwork, delivering under immense pressure. They held a slender lead at 112-111, but they had to maintain it.
However, the lead slipped away after the next three arrows as Taipei scored 30 points while India had a 29, with Parneet recording a lone 9. Taipei, unfazed by their earlier mistakes, regrouped quickly.
With just one end to go, the scores were level at 171-171, and there was no room for error.
India shot first in the final end, with Parneet hitting a 10, Aditi a 9, and veteran Jyothi finding the center once again. Chinese Taipei matched their performance.
With only three arrows remaining, the score remained tied at 200-200. It had to be a perfect 30 to secure victory; anything less, and India would lose control of their destiny.
Parneet – 10. Aditi – 10. Jyothi – a perfect 10.
Under immense pressure, the Indian archers delivered flawlessly, while Chinese Taipei’s fourth arrow scored a 9. This secured yet another gold medal for India.
The final was a rollercoaster ride, with India trailing at times but ultimately emerging victorious.
Each of the three archers faced challenges, including recording a 9 that could have meant the difference between gold and silver. However, they all bounced back with perfect 10s when it mattered most.
Jyothi’s consistency stood out, as she clinched her second consecutive gold medal in as many days with just one shot of 9 in her eight arrows. This is the platform she has longed for, and she is shining brightly.
The significance of this Asian Games for Indian compound archery cannot be overstated, and today’s victory is another reminder of why this sport holds such importance.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Zoomer Zest journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
