Meet Jyothi, Chikitha And Prithika: India’s Golden Trio Who Clinched Historic Archery Gold With WR At Asian Games 2026

India's women's compound team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep won gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, beating China 238-234 in the final. The 238, two points short of a perfect 240, equalled the world record.

The route to the final began with qualification, where India ranked second behind China. Chikitha topped the individual standings with 705, and Prithika added 695. In a tense semifinal, India beat South Korea 235-233. Korea levelled at 175-all in the second half, but India led 205-204 going into the last arrows and closed out with two tens and a nine.

Jyothi Surekha Vennam

Jyothi, 30, was born in Challapalli, Andhra Pradesh, and is one of India's most decorated archers. A former national-level swimmer, she moved to archery early and made her senior international debut in 2011. She is now based at SAI Sonipat. She made history at the 2023 Asian Games by winning three golds (individual, team and mixed team), the first Indian archer to do so at a single edition.

She is a world champion in the team event (2023) and has four World Championship silvers and three bronzes. On the World Cup circuit she has 11 stage golds. She also has seven Asian Outdoor Championship golds, the 2017 Arjuna Award and a World Games team bronze.

Chikitha Taniparthi

Chikitha, 21, from a farming family in Telangana, took up archery after her father read about the sport in a newspaper when she was in Class 2. She started formal training in 2018 and turned professional in 2021.

Her breakthrough came in 2025, when she won the Under-21 women's individual gold at the World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, the first Indian woman to win the title. She has since won World Cup team silvers in 2025 and 2026 and an Asian Grand Prix team gold in 2026. She trains at SAI Sonipat.

Prithika Pradeep

Prithika, from Maharashtra, turned 18 on September 27, just three days before this final. She started archery as a hobby in Class 5, and her parents enrolled her in professional coaching from Class 6. She trains at Swarajya Archery Academy in Pune.

Since her 2025 breakthrough she has won seven international medals: one gold, five silvers and one bronze. They include two silvers at the 2025 World Youth Championships, an Asian Outdoor Championships team gold and individual silver in 2025, and World Cup team silvers in 2025 and 2026.