Three team golds and an Olympic opening: India’s archers have a huge day

A tie-break, a comeback and a score almost touching perfection. India’s compound archers delivered all three at the Asian Games on September 30, winning the women’s, mixed and men’s team titles.

Each final had its own kind of pressure. Together, they made a day that was about more than adding medals to a tally: the mixed-team result also secured an Olympic qualification place for India.

The women set a very high bar

Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep beat China 238–234 in the women’s final. Their total equalled the world record, The Week reported.

India led from the first rotation and stayed ahead. The victory brought Jyothi her fourth Asian Games gold, while Chikitha and Prithika claimed their first at their debut Games.

Getting to the final had been much tighter. The team edged South Korea 234–233 in the semifinal. A one-point escape was followed by a final in which India gave its opponent very little room.

The mixed final needed extra arrows

Chikitha then teamed up with Sahil Rajesh Jadhav. Their final against South Korea ended level at 157–157, sending the contest into a shoot-off.

World Archery’s official report says India won that decider 20–19. Both Indian arrows scored ten; the Korean pair scored a ten and a nine.

The result secured India’s place in the compound mixed-team event at Los Angeles 2028, where the discipline will make its Olympic debut.

There is a detail worth keeping straight. Olympic quota places belong to the country’s National Olympic Committee. Winning one does not, by itself, confirm the individual athletes who will eventually be selected to compete.

The men finished the sweep

Ganesh Thirumuru, Sahil Jadhav and Kushal Dalal then defeated China 238–237 in the men’s final, according to Moneycontrol’s report. India recovered from an early two-point deficit to win by the smallest margin.

That completed the successful defence of all three compound team titles. Sahil and Chikitha each finished the team competitions with two golds.

If you only saw the medal count, the sweep might look comfortable. The actual scorelines tell a different story: a tied mixed final and a men’s final decided by one point leave almost no space for error.

For fans discovering archery through these Games, this was a strong introduction. The action may be quiet between shots, but the scoreboard can carry plenty of drama.

Three gold medals make the headline. The small margins behind them explain why this team performance deserves a closer look from anyone following Indian sport.