India Reach Archery Semifinals in Mixed Team Events
Indian archers Dhiraj-Kumkum and Sahil-Chikitha secure semifinal spots in recurve and compound mixed team events at the Asian Games.
India’s archery contingent delivered a powerhouse performance on Sunday, securing semifinal berths in both the recurve and compound mixed team categories at the Asian Games. The clinical displays by the Indian archers have significantly bolstered the nation's medal prospects in the tournament.
Archery Dominance: Mixed Team Success
In the recurve mixed team event, the duo of Dhiraj Bommadevara and Kumkum Mohod showcased exceptional precision. Following their successful Round of 16 encounter against the UAE, they dominated the quarterfinals by defeating Vietnam with a commanding 6-0 scoreline. They are now set to face the host nation, Japan, in the semifinals scheduled for October 2.
Simultaneously, the compound mixed team category saw Sahil Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi surge into the final four. After navigating through the Round of 16 against Mongolia, they secured a hard-fought quarterfinal victory against Kazakhstan, finishing with a score of 159-154. India will clash with Thailand in the compound mixed team semifinals on September 30.
The momentum in archery extends beyond the mixed teams, as India's archers have also successfully progressed to the semifinals in both the men's and women's compound team events.
Athletics and Fencing Updates
On the track, Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan delivered a standout performance in the men's 400m hurdles. By clocking a time of 49.61 seconds and finishing second in his heat, he earned an automatic qualification for the final. In contrast, Yashas Palaksha was unable to complete his heat.
In the men's decathlon, Tejaswin Shankar saw a slight shift in his standings. After a strong third-place finish in the 110m hurdles, he recorded 599 points in the discus throw, which moved him to third place overall with a cumulative total of 5,869 points.
The Indian women's fencing squad also tasted victory, defeating Indonesia 45-23 to advance to the quarterfinals of the team sabre event.
Surfing and Badminton Results
The surfing arena saw progress for several Indian athletes. Sivaraj Babu moved into Round 3 of the men's shortboard after overcoming Iran's Davoud Khadir. In the women's shortboard, both Kamali Prakash and Sugar Shanti Gayen successfully advanced to Round 3.
However, it was a challenging day for the badminton contingent. India's campaign in the doubles events concluded in the quarterfinals:
- Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were eliminated by China's Huang Dongping and Feng Yan Zhe.
- Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly fell to Malaysia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
Other Sporting Highlights
In other disciplines, the results were mixed:
- Race Walking: Manju Rani finished sixth in the women's marathon race walk, while Priyanka Goswami faced disqualification.
- Sepaktakraw: The Indian women's doubles team suffered a 0-2 loss to South Korea in Group B.
- Kurash: Bharti lost 0-3 to Iran's Tahereh Azarpeivand in the women's 57kg Round of 16, and Sangita was defeated 0-10 by Charmea Quelino in the Round of 32.