Asian Games 2023: Jyothi Surekha Vennam-Ojas Pravin Deotale clinch gold in compound archery mixed team

With this medal India surpassed its best ever medal haul from the previous edition at Jakarta-Palembang.

India secured its first gold medal in archery at the ongoing Asian Games 2023 on Wednesday (October 4th). Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Deotale joined forces to triumph over South Korean team Chaewon/Jaehoon in the compound mixed team gold medal match at the Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre, China.

At first in the morning, the Indian duo defeated Binti Mat Salleh Fatin Nurfatehah and Bin Muzuki Mohd Juwaid of Malaysia in the quarterfinals with a score of 158-155. In the subsequent round, they were pitted against Adel Zhexenbinova and Andrey Tyutyun from Kazakhstan.

Ojas commenced with a score of 10, followed by a commendable 9 from Jyothi. Consequently, at the end of the initial round, they found themselves trailing merely by a single point, with the score standing at 39-40.

In the second round, the Indian pair emerged as frontrunners, securing a lead with a score of 79-78. Displaying exceptional skill and precision, they achieved a perfect 40 in the third round, further solidifying their position in the game. As the third round drew to a close, the scoreline stood at 119-116 in favor of the Indian team.

In the concluding stage of the competition, the Kazakh duo commenced with a score of 19 points, while Ojas and Jyoti responded with two perfect 10s. Subsequently, the Kazakh archers garnered two 9-points, resulting in a significant advantage for their counterparts, as Jyoti and Ojas concluded with another flawless score of 20.

The match concluded with a final scoreline of 159-154, and Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Deotale emerged victorious, progressing to the final. The Indian pair did not have to sweat much in the finals as they clinched the gold with ease.

This marked India's 16th gold medal in Hangzhou, elevating the country's total count to 71 with 25 silver and 29 bronze medals, surpassing its previous record of 70 achieved in the preceding edition in Jakarta in 2018.