India have been assured of one gold and two silver medals in Archery at the Asian Games 2023 as both Abhishek Verma and Ojas Deotale qualified for the men’s compound individual final. The Indian duo will now compete against each other and thus assure India’s first and second finish on the podium.Abhishek Verma defeated top seed Jaehoon Joo 147-145, while Ojas Deotale defeated Jaewon Yang by four points with back-to-back 150s. The two archers from the Republic of Korea will compete for a bronze medal.
The second silver was assured when Jyothi Surekha Vennam defeated compatriot Aditi Swami to reach the women’s compound individual final at the Asian Games 2023. The semi-final match between the two saw Vennam securing a victory over Swami with a score of 149-146.
The match, held on October 3 in Hangzhou, demonstrated both the athletes’ skills and composure. Initially, both Vennam and Swami shot 60 out of 60 in their first six arrows, before Vennam dropped a point in the third end. Despite this, Swami couldn’t maintain her streak with a misfire in the final round leaving her with a score of 146.Swami, the 17-year-old reigning senior world champion, will now vie for the bronze medal while Vennam will compete for gold in her third Asian Games appearance. Vennam, a multiple World Cup gold medalist, is yet to secure a gold medal in the continental event. Her earlier victories include a silver in 2018 and bronze in 2014, both in team events.The men’s compound individual section has also assured India of at least a bronze medal with archers Abhishek Verma and Ojas Deotale advancing to the semifinals. Former 2014 silver medalist Verma overcame a Kazakh rival, while current world champion Deotale easily defeated his competitor from Kazakhstan. Both Indian archers are well placed for a potential head-to-head final clash.Overall, Indian archers are in contention for nine medals, which includes three in the individual section, at the Asian Games 2023.
