Asian Games 2023: Jyothi Surekha and Ojas Deotale win compound archery mixed team gold

Asian Games Archery: In the first medal of the day, the duo of Jyothi Vennam and Ojas Deotale bagged a gold medal for India in the Compound Archery Mixed Team event.

The duo of Jyothi and Ojas defeated the Korean pair 159-158 in the final to win yellow metal. This is India's 16th gold medal in the ongoing quadrennial event and 71st medal overall.

Deotale-Verma in men's compound event

Earlier on Wednesday, fresh from winning the senior World Championship in Berlin two months back, Deotale was up against South Korean seventh-seed Yang Jaewon. But the 21-year-old Indian did not give his rival any chance, hitting all perfect 10s from 15 arrows.

Seven of Deotale's 15 perfect 10s were closer to the centre as the Indian youngster celebrated his thumping 150-146 win by waving to the crowd. He will face 34-year-old Verma, who will be looking to upgrade his 2014 silver medal in what appears to be his last Asian Games.

Jyothi used all her experience to prevail over her younger teammate Aditi. Eyeing her first individual gold at the Asian Games, the 27-year-old multiple World Cup medallist will face So Chaewon of South Korea in the final.

Jyothi has never won a gold medal at the Asian Games. She has one silver (2018) and a bronze (2014), both coming in team events. Aditi, on the other hand, will fight for the bronze medal against Ratih Zilizati Fadhly of Indonesia.

Leading by one-point after four ends, 17-year-old Aditi misfired an arrow into the seven-point ring in the final round to gift a 149-146 win to Jyothi. It was a big relief for Jyothi, who had lost to Aditi in the World Championships in Berlin in August this year.

Both of them shot 60 out of 60 in their first six arrows, before Jyothi slipped a bit in the third end by dropping a point. Aditi kept shooting in the 10-ring at ease before she slipped in the final end which cost her the match.

Earlier in the day, 2014 Games silver medallist Verma overcame a late challenge from Kazakhstan's Andrey Tyutyun to win an intense shoot-off and enter the semifinal.

Leading 60-57 after two ends, Verma slipped as his Kazakh rival bounced back to level 147-147 and forced a shoot-off. Both the archers shot a 10, but the Indian was adjudged the winner -- 147-147 (10*-10) -- as his arrow was closer to the centre.

Current world champion Deotale, on the other hand, shot an incredible 150 out of 150 to breeze past Akbarali Karbayev of Kazakhstan in the last-eight round.

Fourth-seeded Aditi dropped just one point from 15 arrows to eliminate Amaya Amparo Cojuangco of the Philippines 149-146 in the quarterfinals, while Jyothi ousted ninth-seed Adel Zhexenbinova of Kazakhstan 147-144.

(With PTI inputs)