Asian Games Archery: Jyothi-Ojas wins compound mixed team gold

Indian compound archers Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Deotale edged their South Korean opponents to clinch the first gold medal for India in archery at the 19th Asian Games on Wednesday.

The Indian pair dropped just one point in the final to defeat the South Korean pair of So Chaewon and Joo Jaehoon 159-158.

Earlier in the day, the Indian pair put on a dominant display in the quarterfinals and semifinals to enter the final of the compound mixed team event.

The Indian duo entered the final with a 159-154 win over Kazakhstan. They had just one '9' and the rest were all '10s' in the semifinals against the Kazakh pair of Adel Zhexenbinova and Andrey Tyutyun.

Before the final, the Indian pair fought the gritty Malaysian pair of Mohd Juwaidi Bin Mazuki and Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh in the quarterfinals.

The start of the quarterfinal was good as the Indian pair took a lead of 40-39 but then faltered allowing the Malaysian pair to bounce back and draw level.

But the Indian pair turned things around in their favour and scored all the 10s in the third and fourth rounds to clinch the tie 158-155.

Indian archers are set to win at least four medals in the ongoing Asian Games, which will better their previous best show at Incheon in 2014 when they bagged a men's team compound gold, one silver, and a bronze.

With this gold medal, the Indian contingent has crossed their best-ever haul (70) at the Asian Games as India has so far won a total of 71 medals with 16 gold, 26 silver, and 29 bronze at the quadrennial showpiece.