Chikitha Taniparthi may describe herself as soft-spoken and introverted, but her exploits with the bow and arrow have long spoken for her loud and clear.

Last year, she etched her name in history books by winning India’s first-ever women’s individual gold in the compound category at the Under-21 World Archery Championships in Canada.

The 21-year-old has since made the transition to the senior team and is now set to make her Asian Games debut in Japan later this year. She credited Abhishek Verma for her strong showing at the trials.

“I didn’t have any expectations going into the trials because in the days leading up to the test, my trigger timing was off and, because of the wind, my scores were very low,” she told The Hindu.

Chikitha’s bid to make the squad was anything but straightforward.

“On the first day, I scored 693 and was ranked 13th. I didn’t shoot well. Abhishek anna pushed me to not hesitate. I listened to that and scored 351 and 351 (702). The following day, I totalled 353 and 352 (705). In the end, I was ranked sixth. In the round-robin stage, I won three matches in the morning and lost one with a tie. Abhishek kept speaking to me throughout. He even tuned my bow for me, initially. I pushed myself and won all my other matches and finished second.”

Her own selection for the Asian Games was a bittersweet moment, given her mentor Abhishek didn’t make the cut.

“Since I came into archery in 2021, Abhishek has been my mentor and has supported me. I have complete trust in him. After I got selected, he told me to become an Asian Games champion and to bring him the toy as a gift.”

Jyothi Surekha has been a picture of consistency since picking up the bow and arrow. With 93 medals to her name – including five from the Asian Games – the 29-year-old is now preparing to add to that tally at this year’s edition of the quadrennial event in Japan.

Surekha emerged on top at the selection trials held at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Sonipat, Haryana, while several prominent names, including Atanu Das, Ojas Pravin Deotale and Deepika Kumari, failed to qualify.

The compound archer began her World Cup run with gold in the women’s team event in Mexico but a rare off day saw a quarterfinal exit in Shanghai. She admitted that the quick turnaround between Stage 2 of the Archery World Cup and the trials in Sonipat, in addition to challenging conditions made preparation difficult.

“There was a lot of heat. There wasn’t much wind initially, but by the round-robin stage, which is very important, it became very windy,” she told The Hindu.

While pleased with her selection, Surekha is equally excited about guiding a young compound women’s team featuring 21-year-old Chikitha Taniparthi and 17-year-old Prithika Pradeep at the Asian Games.

“I’m just two months away from turning 30,” she reiterated, with a laugh.

“Even though I was happy to qualify, I was a little surprised too because some big names missed out, not just in compound women, but overall. But what’s done is done. The team has been selected, and now we have to work together and make sure things go well for us.”

There were barely any celebrations at home in Vijayawada. “Everything was normal at home. Maybe we’ll celebrate after winning the Asian Games.”

For now, Surekha’s immediate focus remains on Stages 3 and 4 of the Archery World Cup in Antalya and Madrid, respectively.