In a surprising turn of events, India's two-time compound archery champion, Chikita Taniparti, was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women's individual event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. South Korea's Kang Yeon-seo and Park Jeong-yoon both advanced to the semifinals, enhancing their chances for gold.
On October 1, at the Okazaki Central Park Multipurpose Arena, Taniparti lost to Indonesia's Nurisa Dian Asirifa with a score of 143-144. The day before, she had won gold medals in both the women's team and mixed team events.
Taniparti was considered a strong contender for gold in this competition. With her exit, all Indian competitors were eliminated from the women's individual event. India, a dominant force in compound archery, had swept all gold medals in the men's, women's, and mixed team events the previous day, and had also claimed five golds at the last Hangzhou Asian Games.
Kang Yeon-seo defeated China's Wen Yi-er 145-140. At just 14 years old, she is the youngest national representative in South Korean archery history. She also earned a bronze medal in the women's team event the day before. Notably, Kang began her archery journey during an elementary school experience class and has since developed into an elite athlete. She will compete against Asirifa, who defeated Taniparti, for a spot in the finals.
Park Jeong-yoon triumphed over Malaysia's Patin Nurpateha Mat Saleh with a score of 145-139. He has a unique background, having competed as a young archer before stepping away from the sport. From 2014 to 2021, he worked in the fashion industry, later returning to archery as an amateur before quitting his job to pursue a professional career, ultimately becoming a national representative.
Meanwhile, the compound archery team secured a silver medal in the mixed team event and a bronze in the women's team event the previous day. They are now aiming for additional medals in the individual events. The men's team finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a medal.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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