Daijiworld Media Network - Nagoya
Nagoya, Sep 30: India’s women’s compound archery team of Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam retained their Asian Games title with a 238-234 victory over China on Wednesday, equalling the world record in the process.
The victory gave India their seventh gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. Jyothi secured her fourth Asian Games gold, while Chikitha and Prithika claimed their first.
India had set the world, Asian and Asian Games record of 238 earlier in the tournament when the same trio defeated Mongolia in the pre-quarterfinals. The score had equalled South Korea’s record mark set at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
The defending champions had faced a much closer contest in the semifinal, edging South Korea 234-233. India then improved by four points in the final to match the record mark.
Prithika and Jyothi produced perfect scores of 80 each, with all eight of their arrows finding the 10-ring. Chikitha contributed 78, with her two nines in the second and third ends accounting for India’s only dropped points.
India scored 60, 59, 59 and 60 across the four ends, while China managed 58, 58, 60 and 58. India therefore finished with 22 of their 24 arrows scoring 10, leaving the team just two points short of a perfect 240.
India established an early advantage by scoring three consecutive 10s from the opening arrows and completed a perfect first end to lead China 60-58.
Chikitha's nine at the start of the second end gave India their first dropped point, but Prithika and Jyothi maintained the pressure with 10s. All three Indians then found the 10-ring with their second arrows, leaving India 119-116 ahead at the halfway stage.
China responded with a perfect 60 in the third end, while India scored 59 after another nine from Chikitha. The margin was reduced to two points at 178-176, keeping China within striking distance.
India then produced a decisive final end. China scored 10, nine and nine in the opening rotation for 28 points, while all three Indians hit 10s to extend the lead to 208-204.
China finished with three 10s to reach 234, but India matched the effort and closed out with another perfect end to finish on 238 and secure gold.
Earlier, India had edged South Korea in a tense semifinal. The teams were level at 59-59 after the opening end before India moved three points ahead at 118-115. South Korea then scored a perfect 60 in the third end, reducing India's advantage to 176-175.
Both teams scored 29 in the opening rotation of the final end, leaving India ahead 205-204. South Korea finished on 233, but India secured the required points to win 234-233.
Prithika was India's highest scorer in the semifinal with 79, followed by Jyothi with 78 and Chikitha with 77. South Korea later defeated Chinese Taipei 229-228 in the bronze-medal playoff.
The Indian trio had entered the competition as the second seeds behind China. Chikitha had topped the individual qualification with a career-best 705, while Prithika scored 695 and Jyothi 699.