Shekhawat hails Archery Gold & LA28 quota at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi won Gold in Compound Mixed Team Archery at Asian Games 2026, beating South Korea 20–19 in a shoot-off after a 157–157 tie, also earning India an LA28 Olympic quota place.
Key Takeaways
Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi won Gold in Compound Mixed Team Archery at Asian Games 2026 .
The final against South Korea ended level at 157–157 in regulation before India won the shoot-off 20–19 .
The victory secures India a Compound Mixed Team quota place at the LA28 Olympics .
India defended their title in this event, underlining consistency against South Korean dominance at continental level.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat hailed the result as a 'proud moment for Indian archery and a significant step towards Los Angeles.' The achievement aligns with India's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) , which has supported elite archery since 2014 .
A razor-thin shoot-off, a defended title, and a ticket to Los Angeles — Indian archery delivered all three in a single afternoon. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat congratulated the Indian compound mixed team pair of Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, after the duo clinched Gold at the #AsianGames2026 in the Compound Mixed Team Archery event.
A 20–19 shoot-off that settled a 157-all deadlock
The final against South Korea — archery's perennial continental giant — finished level at 157–157 in regulation, forcing a shoot-off. The Indian pair held their nerve to win 20–19, defending the title India had previously won in the event. It is exactly the kind of high-pressure finish that separates champions from contenders, and Jadhav and Taniparthi came out on the right side of it.
What the Gold also buys: an LA28 Olympics quota place
Beyond the medal itself, the victory carries a structural prize: an Olympic quota place for India in the Compound Mixed Team event at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Compound mixed team has quietly become one of India's more consistent strengths on the archery circuit, with Indian pairs repeatedly testing South Korean dominance at the continental level. Locking in quota this early — more than two years out from LA28 — gives the national programme breathing room to focus on preparation rather than qualification anxiety.
TOPS, the policy engine behind the podium push
The result sits within a broader government strategy. India's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), launched in 2014, has channelled elite funding and logistical support into Olympic-discipline athletes, archery included. The compound mixed team event is precisely the kind of targeted event the scheme was designed to prioritise — one where India has a realistic podium shot and where early quota conversion matters. Minister Shekhawat's post described the triumph as 'a proud moment for Indian archery and a significant step towards Los Angeles.'
With national selection trials and further quota events in the 2027–28 Olympic cycle still ahead, Indian archery heads into that stretch from a position of confirmed continental dominance — Gold medal in hand, LA28 spot secured.
Point of View
Which is precisely what India's pre-LA28 strategy demands. For over a decade, TOPS has tried to shift Indian sport from heroic near-misses to systematic podium engineering; a confirmed Olympic berth secured two-plus years out is evidence that the model is working in archery. Minister Shekhawat's prompt public acknowledgement also reflects the BJP government's pattern of tying sporting wins to a larger 'Viksit Bharat' sporting narrative ahead of 2028. The real test will be whether the national programme can now channel the bandwidth freed from qualification into peaking at Los Angeles itself.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Compound Mixed Team Archery gold at Asian Games 2026?
India's Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi won the gold medal in Compound Mixed Team Archery at the Asian Games 2026 , beating South Korea in a shoot-off.
What was the score in the India vs South Korea archery final?
The match ended 157–157 in regulation and was decided by a shoot-off, which India won 20–19 .
Has India qualified for the 2028 LA Olympics in archery?
Yes. The Asian Games 2026 gold earned India an Olympic quota place in the Compound Mixed Team Archery event at the Los Angeles 2028 Games .
What is the Target Olympic Podium Scheme and does it cover archery?
The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) , launched in 2014 , funds elite training and support for Indian athletes in Olympic disciplines, including archery.
Why is compound mixed team archery a strong event for India?
India has repeatedly challenged South Korea — the dominant force in international archery — in compound mixed team events at the continental level, making it one of the country's more consistent medal prospects.
