Indian compound archers target Olympic glory after World C'ships gold

New Delhi, Sep 11 (PTI) Buoyed by their historic World Championships triumph, the Indian men's compound archery team has shifted focus to the upcoming Asian Championships with the ultimate goal of winning an Olympic medal.

India capped off a stellar campaign at the recently-concluded World Archery Championships with two medals -- a historic men's team gold and a silver in the mixed team event.

The men's trio of Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini and Prathamesh Fuge delivered a breakthrough performance by beating France in the final to secure gold.

"We prepared a lot for the Worlds and practiced a few days before the Championships in Korea as well, which benefitted us a lot, Prathamesh told PTI Videos.

"The Indian compound archery team has been performing well for a long time. We have the Asian Championships next month, and our complete focus is on that. The Olympics is the ultimate goal," he added.

Rishabh, who also partnered Jyothi Surekha Vennam for a silver in the mixed team final, said the immediate priority was to excel in trials for the Asian Championships.

"Our immediate goal is to give our best in the trials for the Asian Championships in November. Winning a medal in the Asian Games next year will be our next focus. But ultimately, we are working towards the 2028 Olympics," said Rishabh.

Aman called winning the gold medal "the best feeling in the world" adding that he has tweaked his training with Los Angeles Olympics in mind.

"I changed my schedule and made a lot of changes in my training before the tournament, and I'm still working on it because my ultimate aim is to win a medal in the Olympics." In the mixed team final, Rishabh and the seasoned Jyothi lost a close final to the Netherlands.

"This is the second silver medal in mixed teams. We practiced a lot and shot well throughout the event. We fought till the end," Jyothi said.

"There are three years to the Olympics and before that, we have 3-4 major competitions like the Asian Championships, World Cup, and Asian Games. We are taking it step by step," Jyothi said.

"The World Cup Final and Asian Championships are my immediate goals — winning a gold medal will be on my mind.” she added.

Compound archery will make its Olympic debut at LA28, with the mixed team event set to feature as a medal event.

"The team's focus is on the Asian Games next year. The 2028 Olympics is our dream. Our senior archers have already won many medals, but an Olympic medal is missing.

"Now that compound archery is part of the Olympics, this is a golden chance. It's a huge boost for the players,” Chief Coach Jiwanjot Singh Teja said. PTI SG APA APA