Reigning world champion Ojas Deotale blazed his way to the final with a perfect score of 150, while veteran Abhishek Verma also shone bright to set up an all-Indian gold medal clash and assure the county of a top-two finish in the men’s individual compound archery at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Tuesday. Seasoned Jyothi Surekha Vennam also advanced into the women’s individual final at the expense of world champion Aditi Swami, as the compound archers led India’s charge at the continental showpiece.
(Asian Games Medals Tally | Asian Games Full Schedule)
India have thus confirmed three medals in archery, while they also remained in the hunt for a podium finish in seven more events across recurve and compound sections.
Fresh from winning the senior World Championship crown in Berlin two months’ back, Deotale was up against South Korean seventh-seed Yang Jaewon.
But the 21-year-old Indian did not give his rival any chance, blazing his way to all perfect 10s from 15 arrows.
Seven of Deotale’s 15 perfect 10s were closer to the centre (X) as the Indian youngster celebrated his thumping 150-146 win by waving to the crowd.
He will face compatriot Verma, who will be looking to upgrade his 2014 silver medal in what appears to be his last Asian Games appearance.
The 34-year-old Verma evicted another South Korean, top-seed Joo Jaehoon with a clinical 147-145 win.
In the women’s compound individual semifinal, Jyothi used all her experience to prevail over her younger teammate Aditi.
Eyeing her first individual gold at the Asian Games, the 27-year-old multiple World Cup medallist will face So Chaewon of South Korea in the final.
Jyothi has never won a gold medal at the Asian Games. She has one silver (2018) and a bronze (2014), both coming in team events.
Aditi, on the other hand, will fight for the bronze medal against Ratih Zilizati Fadhly of Indonesia.
Overall, the Indian archers are in medal hunt in 10 events, including four in individual sections.
Leading by one-point after four ends, 17-year-old Aditi misfired an arrow into the seven-point ring in the final round to gift a 149-146 win to her ‘idol’ Jyothi.
It was a big relief for the 27-year-old Jyothi, who had lost to Aditi in the World Championships in Berlin in August this year.
Both of them shot 60 out of 60 in their first six arrows, before Jyothi slipped a bit in the third end by dropping a point.
Aditi kept shooting in the 10-ring at ease before she slipped in the final end which cost her the match.
Earlier in the day, 2014 silver medallist Verma overcame a late challenge from Kazakhstan’s Andrey Tyutyun to win an intense shoot-off and enter the semifinal.
Leading 60-57 after two ends, Verma slipped as his Kazakh rival bounced back to level 147-147 and forced a shoot-off.
Both the archers shot a 10, but the Indian was adjudged the winner — 147-147 (10*-10) — as his arrow was closer to the centre.
Current world champion Deotale, on the other hand, shot an incredible 150 out of 150 to breeze past Akbarali Karbayev of Kazakhstan in the last-eight round.
Fourth seeded Aditi dropped just one point from 15 arrows to eliminate Amaya Amparo Cojuangco of Phillipines 149-146 in the quarterfinals, while Jyothi ousted ninth seed Adel Zhexenbinova of Kazakhstan 147-144.
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