Verma, Deotale guarantee India’s first Asian Games individual winner

India will crown its first individual Asian Games Champion by the end of competition in Hangzhou.

Whether it will be reigning World Archery Champion Pravin Deotale or Abhishek Verma, the runner-up when the compound bowstyle made its debut at this multisport event back in 2014, won’t be decided until after the compound men’s final on Saturday.

“I’m very, very happy,” said Verma. “With my scores and with my result. The Asian Games is important for us and we did very well.”

The mightly-experienced 34-year-old survived a shoot-off with Kazakhstan’s Andrey Tyutyun in his first match this morning, a quarterfinal, by shooting a better 10, before knocking out top-seeded Korean Joo Jaehoon in the semis.

“I don’t know about other countries but, for India, after the Olympics is the Asian Games,” he continued. “It means a lot to me. We’ve been preparing all year for this tournament – and I can’t wait now.”

“I just want to be champion.”

Both of Verma’s matches today were 147s.

Both Deotale’s matches were perfect 150s.

One of several breakout stars for the Indian compound squad, now managed by Italian coach Sergio Pagni, the 21-year-old memorably won the worlds in Berlin by shooting another perfect match score in the final. It appears he’s not run out of those.

Verma was a member of the compound men’s team that won India’s only Asian Games title to date, back in 2014.

This year, the country is guaranteed at least one individual champion – and potentially two, with compound women’s top seed Jyothi Surekha Vennam also shooting for gold on Saturday morning.

The 27-year-old took some measure of revenge on her teammate Aditi Swami, beating her, 149-146, in the semifinals.

Swami defeated Vennam in the semis in Berlin, on route to becoming the youngest archer in the modern era to win an individual title at the World Archery Championships. (And India’s first individual world champion, hours before Deotale.)

“I was not thinking who my opponent is,” said Vennam, matter-of-factly. “I was just focused on shooting my best and I just followed my shooting process.”

However diplomatic Jyothi’s answer might be, it’s an important result – and a deserved major final for the woman who’s led India’s compound team for the best part of a decade.

She’ll face second-seeded Korean So Chaewon for gold in Hangzhou.

“My opponent is strong, but if I prepare well, I believe I can deliver a good result,” said Chaewon. “As a multisport event, there’s a lot of pressure on this Asian Games, but I’m trying to treat them like any other competition.”

Archers from China, Korea and Mongolia reserved the first Olympic quotas during today’s recurve eliminations in Hangzhou.

Competition at the Asian Games continues with mixed team finals on Wednesday.