India’s Chikitha Taniparthi was knocked out of the women’s compound individual event after a narrow 144-143 defeat to Indonesia’s Nurisa Dian Ashrifah in the quarterfinals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday.
Chikitha trailed after the opening two ends but fought back strongly in the third to take the lead. However, an 8, 9, 10 sequence in the final end proved costly as Nurisa responded with 10, 10, 9 to edge the Indian archer and seal her place in the semifinals.
The defeat marked the first compound event at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in which India failed to defend its gold medal from Hangzhou 2023. Indian compound archers had swept all five gold medals on offer at the 2023 Asian Games.
Chikitha, however, has already enjoyed a successful campaign in Aichi-Nagoya, winning two gold medals. She first helped India retain the women’s team title before partnering Sahil Jadhav to win the mixed team gold, a victory that also secured India a quota place in the compound mixed team event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where the discipline is set to make its Olympic debut.
The Indian women’s compound team comprising Chikitha, Prithika Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam defeated China 238-234 to successfully defend its gold medal on Wednesday. India had won silver in the event in 2018 and bronze in 2014.
The Indian trio had edged South Korea in the semifinal before defeating China in the final with a score of 238, matching the world record set by the Koreans at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games.
About an hour later, Chikitha teamed up with Sahil to beat South Korea’s Park Jungyoon and Choi Yonghee in a shoot-off after the teams were tied at 157-157 at the end of regulation play.
Sahil later claimed his second gold of the Games in the men’s team event. The Indian trio of Kushal Dalal, Sahil and Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru produced a dramatic comeback to edge China and clinch the title.
India enjoyed its most successful Asian Games archery campaign in Hangzhou in 2023, winning a record nine medals, including five gold, two silver and two bronze. The compound archers swept all five gold medals on offer, while the recurve teams contributed one silver and one bronze.
(IANS Inputs)
