All-weather preparation drives India to three compound archery golds at Asian Games in Nagoya
India's archers swept all three compound gold medals at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya on Wednesday, with Sahil Rajesh Jadhav winning two golds after months of targeted preparation.
Coaches and support staff at the SAI National Centres of Excellence in Kolkata and Sonipat organised a programme that included training in varied climates and match simulations to replicate competition pressure, with pre-Games work carried out both in India and in Japan.
On the day, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep defeated China 238-234 in the women's compound team final, a score that equalled the world record; Sahil and Chikitha won the mixed team title after a shoot-off against South Korea; and the Indian men's team edged China 238-237 in the final.
Sahil, 25, from Satara, Maharashtra, collected two gold medals, first alongside Chikitha Taniparthi in the mixed team event and later as part of the men's team with Kushal Dalal and Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru.
Sahil's coach Haresh Kumar described the range of conditions used in preparation: "We have trained in all weather conditions. We trained at Shillaru in Himachal Pradesh, where we trained in cold and rainy conditions. Then we trained at SAI, Sonipat, where it was extremely hot," Haresh told SAI Media. He also said, "We reached Japan around 10-15 days before the Asian Games and trained in extremely windy conditions. It was all due to Sahil's efforts that he was able to convert his hard work into gold medals."
Coaches emphasised simulation sessions at SAI Sonipat to rehearse tactics and high-pressure moments, a preparation that proved decisive in the mixed team shoot-off; on execution Haresh added, "I am happy with all his shots as Sahil was able to perfectly execute all the tactics we had practised ahead of the Asian Games. As a coach, Sahil has made me extremely proud." He reiterated the link between practice and outcome: "Sahil had worked hard during practice. That is why he was able to convert his sweat and hard work into gold medals."
Sahil reacted to his double gold with: "It's okay. I am happy that I won two Asian Games gold medals and made the country and my parents proud. But there is a lot more to achieve," and described his preparation and confidence before the event: "Every athlete aims to win the gold, to put up his best performance. I was confident that I had the ability to win the gold. That is why I toiled hard during practice over the past several months. I knew I could produce something special," he said. Sahil, who trains at the SAI NCOE in Kolkata, said he was confident of producing a strong performance when he travelled to Japan for the Asian Games.
The victory also earned Sahil an Olympic quota for India in the mixed compound event for the 2028 Los Angeles Games; the three gold medals in Nagoya were credited to a preparation programme that exposed India's archers to varied weather conditions and pressure situations before the Asian Games.
