Chikitha Taniparthi wins two compound archery golds at 20th Asian Games in Nagoya
Chikitha Taniparthi, 21, claimed two gold medals in compound archery at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan on Wednesday (September 30, 2026), taking the women's team title and partnering with Sahil Jadhav to win the mixed team event.
The Telangana native from Sultanpur village in Peddapalli district transitioned from karate to archery after her father steered her towards an individual sport while she was in school; she practised karate from sixth to eighth grade and said, "I got my first black belt also." Her initial interest in bows began with a toy gifted by an uncle on Dussehra and backyard target practice, and once her father saw potential he took a loan to buy upgraded equipment so she could train seriously from 2018 and later joined the junior camp in 2021.
Chikitha described her father's role and early family background in her own words: "I didn't get into archery on my own. It was my father's choice. He wanted me to play sport because he couldn't play any sport. When I was small, he used to take us to playgrounds. We used to play some games everyday," and she added that her father is a farmer and her mother is a housewife: "My father is a farmer and my mother is a housewife. I worked very hard and I have trained in Sonepat since 2022. This is my first Asian Games and winning two medals is special." She also said Abhishek Verma trained her briefly and has supported and taught her since her selection to train in Sonipat.
On the field, Chikitha won the women's team gold alongside Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Prithika Pradeep, then combined with Sahil Jadhav to defeat Korea in the mixed final after a tense shoot-off. The mixed-team victory was decided in a shoot-off, with Chikitha and Sahil finishing on top to take the title.
Her competitive résumé cited in the report includes becoming world youth champion last year and earning team silver medals in the Archery World Cup in 2025 and in 2026. She recounted recent form issues and recovery: "Personally, I have been struggling this past year, facing some difficulties. After becoming world champion last year, it became very difficult for me to perform at the same level. I was struggling with my shooting aim. I went to the Asia Cup and won two medals, and I worked really hard after that and I got back to the first team. I just concentrated and said 'you have to do it for yourself and give it 100'."
Chikitha described her mental routine for calm and focus: "I do meditation and breathing exercises regularly, twice a day. I trust my process and follow it for a long time." She also recounted the path into coaching contact: " I was in school at that time. We didn't know much about anything. Then I messaged Abhishek Verma sir's wife. Ma'am told me to come. Then we went there and I trained for five days. I was selected to train in Sonipat. From that time to now, he (Abhishek Verma) is supporting me, helping me, teaching me. He is my inspiration," and she credited her father's decision to switch her from karate after seeing Saina Nehwal win an Olympic medal: "After Saina Nehwal won an Olympic medal, he decided that I should play another sport (archery instead of karate)."
The mixed team gold with Sahil Jadhav also secured a quota for LA2028 Olympics, according to coverage linked in the report.