Indian archers have kicked off their Asian Games campaign with impressive performances. They topped the qualification rounds, achieving joint world record scores. Additionally, they maintained a perfect record on the elimination round day, winning all their matches. This strong start sets a positive tone for the remainder of the tournament.
India Advances to Semi-Finals with Strong Performances
In the mixed event quarter-finals, India triumphed over Kazakhstan with a score of 159-154 after previously defeating Mongolia 160-154. The competition in Aichi-Nagoya has seen exceptionally high scores, with both South Korea and Kazakhstan also achieving a score of 160 on Sunday. India will face Thailand in the semi-finals.
The Indian women’s compound team, consisting of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha, and Prithika Pradeep, showcased their prowess by matching a world record with a score of 238 to advance past Mongolia in the Round of 16. They continued their success in a closely contested quarter-final, narrowly defeating Kazakhstan 233-230. Their next challenge will be against South Korea in the semi-finals.
The men in recurve were also dominant, going past China 5-1 in the quarter-finals after beating the Philippines with the same margin. The recurve women, which also features two debutants in Kumkum and Kirti teaming up with Olympian Ankita Bhakat, will have China waiting in the semi-final, after they breezed past Chinese Taipei (6-0) in the quarter-final and Mongolia (6-0). The compound men’s team too will battle with the South Koreans in the last four after defeating Bhutan 235-232 in the quarter-final and UAE 235-215 in the pre-quarters.
A lot will depend on how Dhiraj can lead this group at the business end, starting with Iran in the semi-final. The team features Dhiraj, who topped the qualification round ahead of the Koreans on Saturday and enters the Asian Games with a World Cup Final gold, alongside debutants Sanjay Bhoge and Neeraj Chauhan.
