Hangzhou, Sep 30 (PTI) The Indian compound archers will enter the Asian Games as outright favourites after producing exceptional results in the 2023 season while the recurve archers will strive to end a 13-year medal drought at the continental showpiece when competition in the bow sport gets underway, here on Sunday.
India never boasted a world champion in archery but the year 2023 threw not just one but three senior champions, including Ojas Deotale and 17-year-old Aditi Swami, who excelled in compound.
The compound archers also grabbed seven gold and four bronze medals from three stages of the World Cup to assert their supremacy, similar to what Korean archers brag about in recurve section.
Going into the Asian Games with such stupendous performances, the compound archers will be aiming for all the five gold medals on offer and power India to their best-ever show in archery at the continental showpiece.
India had returned with two silver medals from Indonesia in 2018.
India’s best-ever show in archery at the Asian Games came in 2014 with one gold, one silver and a bronze in the compound section.
“This time we are expecting gold in men’s and women’s sections. God willing, we may end up with four gold medals in compound,” India’s high performance director and Dronacharya Awardee Sanjeeva Singh told
Source: PTI News
