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Storming Indian compounds, Korean recurves win Hangzhou pairs titles

4 October 2023

Hangzhou, China

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Korea, India win mixed team titles at Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Korea dominated the recurve mixed team event at the Asian Games, Lee Woo Seok and Lim Sihyeon not losing as single set through four matches as they secured their country’s first gold medal of the tournament on the fourth day of competition in Hangzhou.

But it wasn’t the first medal to be awarded.

If Korea looked strong in the recurve bracket, India’s compounds seemed… robotic.

Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Pravin Deotale, who will both also shoot for the individual titles at these Asian Games, shot matches of 159, 158 and 159 points to make the final – against none other than Korea, the runner-up five years ago.

“Korea is a very strong team,” said Vennam. “We knew that we were going to have a very tough fight and we were focused on fighting until the very last arrow.”

The Indian pair was perfect through eight arrows of the gold medal match – but Deotale dropped a nine to start the third, and draw the match level. It was a wobble that might have seen an Indian team crumble in the past…

…but not this India.

Neither Vennam nor Deotale would miss the 10-ring again but Korean opener So Chaewon would – giving India gold, 159-158.

“I’m not surprised. We knew that we could do this,” said Pravin, the reigning World Archery Champion in the compound men’s category. “It was very close but we maintained our form. We stayed calm in every situation.”

The increase in the confidence displayed by the Indian squad is stark – and it’s producing results.

“My teammate and my coach were talking to me from behind throughout,” continued Deotale. “[They were] telling me to keep calm and I did the job.”

“We were excited and we were having fun during the matches.”

India becomes the second compound mixed team champion at the Asian Games, inheriting the title won by Chinese Taipei in 2018 when the competition made its debut at the multisport event. Taipei beat Kazakhstan to bronze this time.

Today’s podium also ensures that India will produce its best-ever Asian Games result, too – with at least one more gold medal and two silvers already guaranteed in the individual finals and team matchplay starting tomorrow.

Olympic quota places were on offer to the winner of the recurve mixed team event.

When Korea beat defending champion Japan in straight sets, it added a single women’s ticket for Paris 2024 to the three men’s slots already won at the 2023 Hyundai World Archery Championships in Berlin – and gifted another women’s space to Indonesia.

Archery’s leading competitive nation will have to work hard to match its eight-medal haul from 2018. But this first win is a start.

“I’m very excited to win this long-awaited gold. It was worth all my hard training,” said Lee Woo Seok, who left the last edition of this event with just one silver. “The first gold medal of the Asian Games is very memorable and it makes up for those regrets I had in Jakarta.”

The nearest Lee and Lim Sihyeon came to danger was in their semifinal against Indonesia.

Diananda Choirunisa and Riau Salsabilla had shot a perfect fourth set and a perfect shoot-off to beat India in the quarterfinals. The Koreans just saw it as a chance to stamp their authority, opening and closing the next match with 40s. The two middle draws were the only set points Lee and Lim surrendered all day.

“Gold is not easy to come by and I worked very well with Woo Seok to get the desired result. I want to say to my partner… you were the best today,” said Sihyeon. Lee quickly responded: “You did a great job.”

“I hope I can work with my teammates to get the desired team result and I will do my best in the individual competition,” continued Lim. She’ll shoot for individual gold on Saturday. “I will give everything with no regrets.”

Competition at the Asian Games continues with compound team finals on Thursday.