India makes history at the World archery championships

Aditi Swami, Parneet Kaur and Jyothi Surekha of the compound women’s archery team after they won India’s first ever gold medal in the World Archery Championships 2023, in Berlin, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. High performance director Sanjeeva Singh, coach Surinder Singh and head coach Sergio Pagni are also seen.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The trio of V. Jyothi Surekha, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur made history when they helped India record a convincing 235-229 victory over the top-ranked Mexico in the compound women’s team final. With this win India clinched its first ever gold medal in the World archery championships in Berlin on Friday.

Under the calming influence of Italian foreign coach Sergio Pagni, a two-time Worlds team gold winner, the second-placed Indian side, featuring an ideal mix of youth and experience, shot consistently to win all four ends (59-57, 59-58, 59-57, 58-57) and secure the title.

The Indians maintained their composure to take a two-point lead in the opening end and gradually increased it to approach the final end with a cushion of five points and won the match comfortably by six points.

Jyothi Surekha, Aditi and Parneet scored 19 tens, while their rivals, Dafne Quintero, Ana Sofia Hernandez Jeon and Andrea Becerra, managed 14.

“We were confident of winning this match. We just focused on the process,” said 17-year-old Aditi, the current under-18 World individual and team champion.

“Despite the noise from the stands, we did not get distracted and focused on our shooting,” said 18-year-old Parneet, a 2021 World under-18 and a 2023 World under-21 team champion.

“We are delighted to win the country’s first ever gold. We want to win many more gold medals,” said 27-year-old Jyothi Surekha.

Jyothi Surekha had claimed three silver medals (women’s individual and team events and mixed team) in the previous edition in Yankton in 2021, two bronze (women’s team and individual) in Den Bosch in 2019 and a silver (women’s team) in Mexico City in 2017.

After receiving a first-round bye, India beat Turkey, Chinese Taipei and Colombia to book a berth in the final.

Indian archers, who have bagged World under-21 and under-18 titles, had never won a World crown at the elite level.

The result: Team: Compound: Women: Final: India (V. Jyothi Surekha, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur) bt Mexico (Dafne Quintero, Ana Sofia Hernandez Jeon, Andrea Becerra) 235-229.