Asian Games: Chikitha advances to quarter-finals, Jyothi knocked out in women's compound archery
Chikitha Taniparthi clinches a dramatic win to reach the quarterfinals, while Jyothi Surekha Vennam exits the women's compound archery event.
The Indian archery campaign at the Asian Games witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions on Day 9. While Chikitha Taniparthi secured a thrilling spot in the women's compound individual quarterfinals, the nation saw a major exit as star archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam was eliminated from the competition.
Chikitha’s dramatic shoot-off victory
In a high-stakes round-of-16 encounter, Chikitha Taniparthi showcased immense composure to overcome Chinese Taipei's Chen Yi-Hsuan. The match was a nail-biting affair that saw both archers locked at an identical score of 148-148 after the regulation 15 arrows.
The tension peaked during the decisive shoot-off. Chikitha managed to strike the bullseye, clinching the win, whereas Chen's arrow landed in the 10-ring but failed to hit the center. This victory follows her earlier successful round-of-32 performance against Bhutan's Dorji Dolma. Chikitha is now set to face Indonesia's Nurisa Dian Ashrifah in the quarterfinals.
Jyothi Surekha Vennam exits the competition
In contrast to Chikitha's triumph, Jyothi Surekha Vennam's individual journey came to an abrupt end. She faced the formidable 14-year-old South Korean prodigy, Kang Yeonseo. The young Korean sensation delivered a flawless performance, scoring a perfect 150 to defeat Jyothi, who finished with a score of 146. Jyothi had previously advanced to this stage after defeating Kazakhstan's Adel Zhexenbinova.
Men's Archery and Other Sporting Successes
The momentum continued in the men's compound archery category, where Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru advanced to the quarterfinals. In an all-Indian clash during the round of 16, Ganesh defeated Sahil Jadhav with a score of 149-148. Ganesh's path to the quarterfinals included a prior win over Indonesia's Sostar Andaru Rinaldi.
India also secured guaranteed medals in other disciplines:
- Kurash: Pincky Balhara confirmed a medal by defeating South Korea's Lim Garam 3-0 in the women's 78kg quarterfinals.
- Boxing: Lovlina Borgohain secured a podium finish after overcoming South Korea's Seong Suyeon in the women's 75kg quarterfinals.
Cricket, Volleyball, and Squash updates
In cricket, the men's quarterfinal against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rainfall. However, India will progress to the semifinals based on their higher seeding. Meanwhile, the men's volleyball team recorded a dominant 3-0 victory over Hong Kong, and the women's squash team swept China with a 3-0 win in the team event.
Shooting and Surfing highlights
The shooting contingent saw strong performances, with Neeru leading the women's trap qualifying in first place. In the women's 25m pistol individual team final, the trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Rahi Sarnobat finished fifth, successfully qualifying for the individual final.
In surfing, Kishore Kumar Anbarasu secured a victory in the men's shortboard round three, defeating China's Ma Wensong with a score of 9.86-8.80.
As the games progress, India currently holds 12th place in the medal standings with a total of 38 medals, comprising 4 gold, 16 silver, and 18 bronze.