Asian Games 2023: 3 Indian Archers who can win Gold

Indian archers have won a combined 10 medals across all editions of the Asian Games since the event was first introduced in 1978.

The sport’s presence has been growing in the country since the men’s recurve team won a bronze for the first time at Doha in 2006. India managed to grab their first gold in 2014 in the team compound event, but have largely failed to break the South Korean dominance in the sport.

Here is a look at three Indian archers who can win gold this time around in Hangzhou, China:

Ojas Pravin Deotale

Ojas Pravin Deotale has taken the archery world by storm. He became the first Indian male archer to become the men’s individual champion in August this year. He shot a perfect 150 to take the crown in a tightly fought final where he defeated Poland’s Lukasz Przybylski. Leading up to the Asian Games, he will be a prime candidate to add a second gold for India at the Asiad.

Jyothi Surekha Vennam

The 27-year-old from Vijayawada had a stellar World Championship. She added two medals to her already six world championship medals but most importantly, she added that elusive gold won in the Team Compound event alongside Parneet Kaur and Aditi Swami. After her heroics at the World Championships, she has expressed that her target is to win a gold at the Asian Games.

Speaking to The Hindu after the World Championships, she said:

"The Asian Games gold is my biggest target now. It is never going to be easy in the Asiad as there will be some world-class archers from countries like Chinese Taipei and Korea. We have to be on our toes to repeat what we achieved in the Worlds."

Aditi Swami

Aditi Swami has taken the world by storm. In early July, she became World Archery Youth champion and then by first week of August, she was World Champion outright in the Women’s Individual Compound.

The 17-year-old graduated to the seniors and added a second World Championship gold in the women’s team compound alongside Parneet Kaur and Jyothi Surekha. She became India's first-ever individual world champion and the youngest in the world to do so. She will have her eye set on continuing her form and winning that gold in Hangzhou.

India stands fifth in the overall archery medal tally at the games, behind Korea, Japan, China, and Chinese Taipei. Their sole gold came at the 2014 Incheon Games, when Rajat Chauhan, Sandeep Kumar, Abhishek Verma won the team compound event.

At the 2018 edition of the Asian Games, India won silver medals in the men’s team compound and women’s team compound. This year's Asian Games will begin on 23rd September.