Compound archers assure India of medal at Asian Archery Championships

Indian archers Abhishek Verma and Mohit set up a semi-final clash at the ongoing 22nd Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka on Monday. Hence, India are now assured of at least a silver medal,

In the women's individual category, compound archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam also made it to the semi-finals. However, all the other archers, in all categories, fell on the wayside.

None of the recurve archers managed to get past the quarter-final stage. Youth World Championship medallist Ankita Bhakat and Olympian Pravin Jadhav were ousted in the quarter-finals.

In the men's individual compound event, Abhishek Verma defeated Mohammad Palizban of Iran 149-147. Meanwhile Mohit, who was placed 16th after the qualifying round, got the better of eighth-seeded Iranian Amir Kazempour 148-144.

Earlier, Mohit shocked top-ranked South Korean Choi Yong-Hee in the pre-quarterfinals.

Read: Archery boost for India, Asian Games to have 10 events, including individual compound categories

The two Indians will meet on November 18 for a place in the final.

The second semi-final will be contested between Sergey Khristich of Kazakhstan and South Korea’s Kim Jong-Ho, the second seed.

In the women's individual compound category, world championships silver-medallist Jyothi was the only Indian to make the semi-finals. Jyothi beat Vietnam’s Le Phuong Thao 146-141 in the second round and got the better of Parneet Kaur 148-146 in the quarter-finals.

India’s Priya Gurjar fell in the quarter-finals while Muskan Kirar lost in the second round.

Recurve archers fail to impress

India had a poor day in the recurve category. None of the eight archers, both men and women, could make it to the medal rounds in their respective individual events.

In the men’s individual recurve category, Tokyo Olympian Pravin Jadhav and reigning national champion Parth Salunkhe were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Jadhav, who had beaten fellow Indian Sukhchain Singh in the third round, fell 6-4 to South Korea’s Han Woo Tack in the last eight.

Salunkhe also lost to South Korean Kim Pil-Joong 6-4 in a last-eight encounter.

Kapil - the best-placed Indian in the qualifying round in fifth position - lost 6-5 to Sanzhar Mussayev of Kazakhstan in the third round.

Youth world champion Ankita Bhakat was stunned 6-4 by Bangladesh archer Diya Siddique in the second round of the women’s individual recurve.

Meanwhile, Komalika Bari, Madhu Vedwan and Ridhi all lost to South Korean archers in the quarter-finals.