Asian Games: Indian women’s compound team edge Korea to reach final

India’s women’s compound archery team edged South Korea 234-233 in a tense Asian Games semifinal in Okazaki. Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam held their nerve to secure a gold-medal clash with China.

Okazaki: The Indian women’s compound archery team of Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam edge South Korea 234-233 in the semifinal here at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square on Wednesday.

India will fight for gold against China in the final. Korea will play a bronze medal match with Chinese Taipei.

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India started well with a 29 in three shots in End 1. Chikitha and Jyothi both scored 10s, while Prithika shot 9. Korea, however, started off perfect 30. The Indian trio regrouped quickly with a perfect 30 in the second half of End 1. South Korea’s Yerin Park managed a 9, and the scores were levelled 59 – 59 after the End 1.

Chikitha started with a 9 in End 2, and Prithika and Jyothi hit 10s, but back-to-back three 9s from the Koreans saw India surge ahead 88 – 86. India then followed it with two inner 10s and a 10. Park then shot 9, and India’s lead swelled to 118 – 115.

Korea to begin End 3 with two 10s and a nine. Jyothi shot a 9 for India. Korea then had three perfect 10s, while India conceded a few points in this end as the lead lowered to just one point, 174 – 173.

Korea had a chance to claw it back in End 4, and they started with Two 10s and a nine. For India, Chikitha started with a nine, but Prithika and Jyothi found the 10 to keep the lead intact.

In the last three arrows, both Korea and India shot two 10s and nine as kept held on to their lead to move into the gold medal match with a 234-233 win.

India enjoyed its most successful Asian Games archery campaign in Hangzhou 2023, winning a record nine medals – five gold, two silver and two bronze. The compound archers swept all five gold medals on offer, while the recurve teams contributed a silver and a bronze.