Chikitha Taniparthi Tops Women’s Compound Qualification as India Finish Second in Team Rankings at Asian Games 2026

India made a strong start to the archery competition at the 2026 Asian Games, with Chikitha Taniparthi topping the women’s compound qualification round after 72 arrows at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.

Chikitha finished with an impressive 705 points, just one point short of the Games Record. Her performance put her at the top of the individual qualification standings and gave India a strong platform heading into the knockout stages. India also finished second in the women's compound team standings with a combined 2099 points, matching China's score. China, however, took the top position on the tiebreak criteria.

Teenager Prithika Pradeep finished 20th with 695, while experienced Indian archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam ended the qualification round 13th with 699. The qualification results will determine the draws for the individual and team competitions.

The Indian compound archer was among the leading competitors from the opening arrows. After the first 12 arrows, Chikitha had scored 118, matching Prithika but sitting eighth because of the number of inner 10s. Prithika was initially India's highest-ranked archer, sitting fourth with 118 and seven inner 10s, while Jyothi was 10th with 117.

Chikitha then produced a perfect second series of 12 arrows, taking her total to 238 and moving into first place. After 24 arrows, Prithika was fourth on 234, while Jyothi was joint fifth on 233. The Indian teenager remained near the top during the next phase, while Chikitha continued to consolidate her position at the front.

After 36 arrows, Chikitha had reached 355 points and remained the leader. Prithika, meanwhile, had slipped to sixth with 350, while Jyothi stood 15th with 348.

The final 36 arrows saw Chikitha maintain her position at the top of the leaderboard. After completing all 72 arrows, she finished with 705 points, only one point below the Games record. Her performance gave her a clear starting position for the individual competition and ensured that India would enter the knockout stages with one of the leading archers in the field.

Jyothi recovered from her mid-round position to finish 13th with 699, while Prithika ended her qualification campaign in 20th with 695. The three Indian scores combined for 2099 points in the team standings. China also recorded 2099, but took first place based on the applicable tiebreak criteria.

Dhiraj Leads Indian Recurve Challenge Early

The men’s recurve qualification also featured three Indian archers, with Dhiraj Bommadevara, Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge competing over 72 arrows.

Dhiraj made an excellent start. After the opening 12 arrows, he was first with 119, including four inner 10s. Neeraj was 15th on 114, while Yashdeep had 111 and was 25th. Dhiraj continued to occupy the top positions during the early stages but slipped to third after the second block of 12 arrows. He scored 113 in arrows 13-24 to reach 232 points.

Neeraj had 228 at that stage in 14th position, while Yashdeep stood 38th on 218.

The middle portion of qualification brought a significant improvement from Neeraj. After arrows 25 to 36, Neeraj scored 115 from the final 12-arrow block, taking his total to 343 and moving from 14th to sixth. Yashdeep also climbed the standings, moving from 38th to 25th with a total of 332. Dhiraj remained in third place at that stage with 348.

The final 36 arrows would determine their eventual qualification positions and the subsequent individual and team draws.

India’s Compound Team Sets Up Knockout Stage

The women's compound qualification was the standout performance for India. Chikitha's 705 placed her at the summit of the individual standings, while Jyothi and Prithika ensured that India remained strongly positioned in the team competition. The result also provided a notable platform for teenager Prithika, who finished with 695 despite slipping down the rankings after her strong start.

For Jyothi, the 699 score placed her 13th and gave India three archers inside the top 20. With qualification complete, attention now shifts to the knockout draws.

Chikitha will enter the individual competition as the top-ranked qualifier, while India's women's compound trio will begin the team competition from second place after tying China's 2099 but losing the tiebreak. The qualification round has therefore given India a strong foundation, with Chikitha's 705-point performance standing out as the headline result of the opening archery session.