The golden girl of Indian Archery, Jyothi Surekha Vennam delivered yet another emphatic performance on October 7 (Saturday) when she defeated Chaewon So of Korea in the women's compound event at the ongoing 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Jyothi defeated her Korean opponent by a margin of 149-145 in a thrilling final. As a result, the Indian archer bagged her third gold medal of the campaign after having won the women's compound team and compound mixed team events.
Alongside her, world champion Aditi Swami contributed to the record by securing a bronze, taking India's archery medal count at these Games to a staggering nine.
Aditi Swami, who was crowned world champion just two months prior in Berlin, initiated India's medal charge on the penultimate day of the Asian Games. In a bronze medal play-off, she dominated her Indonesian opponent, Ratih Zilizati Fadhly. Despite the 17-year-old not performing at her peak and dropping four points, she sailed to a comfortable victory with a score of 146-140.
The momentum continued with Jyothi Surekha Vennam, who had earlier won gold in both the mixed pair and women's team categories. Demonstrating supreme resilience, she overcame a challenging opponent from South Korea, So Chaewon, finishing the match 149-145 in her favor. This victory solidified her third consecutive gold medal. An emotional Jyothi remarked, "I'm overwhelmed with emotions. I need some time to reflect on this achievement."
To further boost India's standing in the tournament, a thrilling men's compound individual final is on the horizon, where Abhishek Verma will compete against compatriot Ojas Deotale. With both archers representing India, the nation is assured of both gold and silver in this category.
India's current performance in archery at the Asian Games is nothing short of historic. The previous record was set at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games, where the Indian contingent secured three medals: a gold, a silver, and a bronze. This year's achievement, with Jyothi Surekha Vennam at the forefront, marks a significant leap for Indian archery on the continental stage.
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