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Games records tumble as Asia’s best open campaign at Aichi-Nagoya 2026

26 September 2026

Nagoya, Japan

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Promising Chikitha Taniparthi gave India’s compound title defence a strong start as qualification opened at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

The 21-year-old shot a career-best 705 to take the top seed in compound women, setting the pace with a round featuring 28 tens and 30 Xs – with the X-ring being the central zone within the 10-ring used to break ties in qualification.

Taniparthi, the Winnipeg 2025 World Archery Youth Champion, finished one point ahead of Iran’s world number 161 Bita Asheghzadeh Oskouei, who also produced a career best 704.

Hangzhou 2022 triple gold medallist Jyothi Surekha Vennam scored 699 to finish 13th.

Taniparthi’s 705 and Sahil Rajesh Jadhav’s 709 – the highest score among the Indian compound men – also put India first in compound mixed team qualification with 1414.

However, the Indian women’s team – which also included Prithika Pradeep’s 695 – secured the second place in team rankings behind China, despite nations totalling 2099 (China had 82Xs to India’s 74).

The standard was high across both compound fields.

Eleven compound women broke the 700-point mark in qualification at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Aichi Prefecture, while 21 men surpassed the benchmark.

China produced a surprise leader in the compound men’s individual ranking as 20-year-old Liao Jiahao and teenage compatriot Liu Jinyi both shot 712. Liao secured the top seed courtesy of his 37 Xs against Liu’s 30.

The scores of Liao, Liu and Shi Jingyu also put China on top of the compound men’s team seeding.

Korea’s world number 10 Choi Yonghee, the highest-ranked archer in the compound men’s field, followed one point behind on 711, while Bhutan also made their presence through Tandin Dorji who shot a career-best 710.

In-form Dhiraj Bommadevara however disrupted Korea’s dominance by taking the top seed in the recurve men’s individual event.

Fresh from his historic victory at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico, the 25-year-old Indian shot a new Asian Games record of 698 to finish five points clear of two-time Olympic champion Kim Je Deok of Korea on 693.

While India took the individual pole position, Korea’s depth put the defending powerhouse on top of the recurve men’s team ranking. The scores of Paris 2024 Olympic Games gold medallist trio – Je Deok (693), Lee Woo Seok (687) and Kim Woojin (684) – gave Korea a Games record 2064 and the pole in recurve men’s team.

Korea also secured the remaining two top seeds in recurve.

World number three Kang Chaeyoung led the recurve women’s individual qualification with a Games record 685, while her score and Je Deok’s 693 put Korea first in the mixed team ranking with another event record of 1378.

Chaeyoung alongwith Oh Yejin (678) and Lee Yunji (677) also gave Korea the top seeding in the women’s team event with a Games record 2040.

There was reason to cheer for the hosts as world number 71 Nanami Asakuno emerged as Japan’s highest-placed archer, finishing second in the recurve women’s ranking with 678.

World number two Zhu Jingyi was China’s highest scorer in the category with 674.

With only the top two archers from each nation advancing to the second phase of the individual competition and entering the matchplay bracket, several leading names will go no further individually. Among them is Korea’s five-time Olympic champion and two-time Asian Games champion Woojin.

Competition continues with the team elimination rounds on Sunday in Nagoya.