Jyothi Surekha Vennam eyes 2028 Olympics after Asian Games team gold

 India's top compound archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam might have endured a dip in form of late in the individual event but she is hoping to bounce back and remain in the hunt for an Olympic spot in 2028.

The 30-year-old has not won an individual World Cup gold since Shanghai in 2024, while her last international individual medal -- a silver -- came at the Madrid World Cup in 2025.

Jyothi failed to defend the individual compound event she had won in the last edition, making a surprise exit in the individual compound event after being eliminated by 14-year-old South Korean archer Kang Yeonseo.

Moreover, she could not make it to the mixed team event in the ongoing Asian Games as Chikitha Taniparthi topped the qualification round while she finished 13th. The number one ranked archer of a country in the qualification round gets into the mixed team.

But Jyothi said she will make a shot at the 2028 Olympics, where the compound mixed team event will make its debut.

"I have two more years (to go to 2028 Olympics). India has also got a quota, it's a good thing. I am still thinking about giving it a shot," Jyothi told PTI in an interaction here.

"I will take some time after the Asian Games. I want to sit down and think about it," she said after winning gold in the women's team event along with Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep. India beat China 238-234 in the final.

This was Jyothi's fourth Asian Games and she is confident that she will play in the next edition in 2030.

"There is still four years to prepare. I will continue to work hard and stay disciplined. These are the two things I can say."

She had won three gold medals in the last edition -- individual, women's team and mixed team.

With the compound women's team gold in the ongoing Games, she has won four yellow metals in the Asian Games.

"I feel really fortunate to get the opportunity to represent India in four Asian Games. After that, I got the opportunity to win so many medals. I am very grateful for that."

Asked about the early exit from the ongoing Asian Games in the individual event, she said, "Last time I tackled all three events and it was a bit hard, but I shot very well.

"This time my opening shots (in individual) were not as good. Sometimes it happens and you just can’t win. It just shows the growing strength in the event."

On winning the women's team gold, she said, "Winning a medal still means a lot to me. All medals have their own special meaning, this one is no better than the others."

"I told my team-mates that we should enjoy ourselves, do our best and then see. How the opposition shoots is not in our hands, what is in our hands is our shooting, and how we execute so we should just focus on ourselves."

Asked what she does to stay focussed, she said: "I do some breathing exercises and visualizations. The breathing exercises, I do every day. But I don't do visualizations every day. I have a psychologist with my team, so we do some activities."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed)