India’s women archers match world record to retain Asian Games gold

India’s women’s compound archery team retained its Asian Games title on September 30, beating China 238-234 with a score that equalled the world record.

Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep finished the 2026 final with six consecutive 10s, the highest score for each arrow. Their total matched the mark South Korea set at the 2014 Asian Games.

The path to gold included a much tighter contest: India edged South Korea 234-233 in the semifinal before going on to defend the title won in Hangzhou in 2023.

The team brought together experience and emerging talent. Vennam was part of the 2023 gold-winning women’s team and won three titles at those Games. Taniparthi and Pradeep both made their international breakthroughs in 2025. Taniparthi also won the under-21 women’s individual title at the World Archery Youth Championships that year.

For Pradeep, mutual encouragement helped keep the team focused. She said the archers urged one another to return to what they knew best after an imperfect shot, rather than dwell on it. She also tried to treat the final as familiar work: the same sport, against familiar competitors, despite the occasion. Together, the trio delivered a perfect closing round when it mattered.