Asian Games: Indian archery pair Deotale-Jyothi secures gold in compound mixed team final
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The Indian archery duo of Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam clinched the gold medal in the Compound Mixed Team final at the Asian Games.
The top-seeded Indian pair showcased remarkable confidence and dropped just one point, narrowly defeating their South Korean opponents, So Chaewon and Joo Jaehoon, with a score of 159-158.
With this victory, Indian archers are on track to secure at least four medals in the ongoing Asian Games, surpassing their previous best performance in Incheon in 2014, where they secured a men's team compound gold, one silver, and a bronze medal.
The gold medal clash featured the top two seeded pairs, with the Indian duo holding the number one spot. Their near-flawless performance secured their victory over the South Korean pair.
Leading up to the final, the Indian pair had a strong showing, winning 159-154 against Kazakhstan in the semifinals, where they showcased their precision with mostly '10s' and just one '9'. Earlier in the day, they triumphed over Malaysia 158-155 to secure a spot in the semifinals.
In the final match, the Indian archers initially took a 40-39 lead, but in the second end, both dropped two points, allowing the Malaysian pair to level the score. However, they regained their lead in the third end with a display of all '10s'.
In the decisive fourth end, the Malaysian team applied pressure with back-to-back '10s', but the Indian duo maintained their composure and responded with equally impressive shots. It was Jyothi's arrow that hit the mark, ultimately deciding the outcome as their Malaysian opponents conceded the match.
This victory marked a significant achievement for Indian archers at the Asian Games, confirming their best-ever performance since the Incheon 2014 Games.