New Delhi, India's history-making compound and recurve archers landed back in the country relieved and elated in equal measure after a stunning Asian Games campaign that included five gold medals, a couple of Olympic quota places and memorable triumphs over global powerhouse South Korea.
India's compound archery coach Dave Cousins said the haul of five gold, two silver and two bronze medals should silence the naysayers for good. The recurve squad accounted for five medals in the tally and the compound archers contributed to four podium finishes.
"So early on, they wanted us to make predictions on how many medals we could get. The only thing we were willing to commit to is that our athletes would go prepared and that they would execute the process as best they could," Cousins said here.
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"When the training is right, the preparation is right and the ecosystem is right, these are the results you get. So we're very happy with that. We're exceptionally happy to clinch the first ever compound archery spot for the Olympic Games. That's a huge thing for us right now," he added.
The performances were delivered by a new-look group that had faced questions over its ability to deliver on the biggest stage.
{{/usCountry}}The performances were delivered by a new-look group that had faced questions over its ability to deliver on the biggest stage.
{{/usCountry}}The unheralded Sahil Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthu combined for the compound mixed team gold that also locked in an Olympic quota.
"You in the media and the global archery community really had a lot of questions about our younger archers, the new squad. Well, I think we proved exactly what they're made of," Cousins said.
Sahil also featured in the gold-winning men's compound team event, while Chikitha combined with veteran Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Prithika Pradeep for the women's compound team gold.
The women's team, in fact, equalled the world record score during its 238-234 victory over China.
Among the men, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru was a double medallist with the men's compound team gold and an individual bronze, while Kushal Dalal was part of the men's compound gold-winning team.
Jadhav said the final against Chinese Taipei was less about pressure and more about executing a plan the team had rehearsed repeatedly.
"It feels fantastic, and seeing this grand welcome gives us even more joy. There wasn't pressure as such because we had practised specifically for these situations," Jadhav said.
"It was all about execution, and we delivered. Now I feel all the hard work I've put in so far has truly paid off."
Taniparthi said the medal had given the young group added confidence and motivation to push harder.
"This feels so good and happy, and by this we will get motivated that we have to win more, do more hard work, then every time we will also get this," she said.
On handling the pressure of a major final, Taniparthi said the team stayed focused on the basics. Her immediate focus now is on the domestic calendar.
Dalal said the team had specifically prepared for high-pressure situations during its training camps.
"It feels incredible seeing so many people gather for the celebration. We trained specifically for high-pressure moments during our camps, so once we were out there, we didn't feel overwhelmed," Dalal said.
Kumkum shines bright for recurve
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From the recurve squad, Kumkum Mohod emerged as one of the standout performers, winning individual gold and helping India claim the women's team gold along with the mixed silver. Her individual gold also secured an Olympic quota for India.
Kumkum said the result was a culmination of months of preparation and teamwork.
"What we thought would happen, happened. It was the team's hard work, all the team's motivation, and the support of the Archery Association of India and SAI. That's why everything happened," she said.
In the individual final against Korea's Oh-Yejin, Kumkum said she deliberately avoided thinking about her opponent and remained focused entirely on her own execution.
"In the final match, I completely enjoyed my shooting. I held on to my feeling, just shot my arrows and didn't look at who was ahead," she said.
"Just stay disciplined and do your best at your work. Don't get carried away. Just keep doing your work properly," she added.
Kirti Sharma, who was part of the women's recurve team that defeated 10-time Olympic champions South Korea 5-3 in the final, described the victory as a historic moment for Indian archery.
"India's first gold in this event. We beat Korea to win gold, so this created history for us. I feel very good that I was part of the team that created that history," Sharma said.
The pressure had been immense given South Korea's dominance in the event, she said, but India entered the final believing it could change the pattern.
"There was pressure because that team always took gold, so there was pressure on us, but we thought that we would do it, and we did," Sharma said.
The men's recurve contingent also produced a strong showing, with Dhiraj Bommadevara winning silver alongside Kumkum in mixed recurve team and men's recurve team events.
Neeraj Chauhan took the individual bronze and men's team silver, and Yashdeep Bhoge contributing to the men's team silver.
Bommadevara said the support system around Indian archers had changed significantly over the years.
"Earlier, there was hardly any support, and I relied closely on my family and friends. But if it weren't for this government, I wouldn't be standing here today. Our Prime Minister, our Sports Minister and our administrative setup have been so supportive," he said.
He said pressure was inevitable at a major competition like the Asiad but credited the team environment for helping the archers remain composed.
"Pressure is there for everyone, but we were fortunate to have a team where we could stay cool and calm," he said.
"Next year, we have the World Championships, where Olympic quotas are there, and after that the LA Olympics," he said.
Chauhan said pressure had been high but sticking to the team's process helped him handle the situation.
"Overall, the experience of the Asian Games was very good. It was my first Asian Games. I went with the hope that I had to bring a medal for India, and bringing this medal has made me and my family very proud," he said.
Bhoge said the team remained united during crucial moments.
"Obviously it was my debut, so there were crunch moments, but everyone kept their morale up. The team stayed together. Because the whole team stayed together, we were able to play well and maintain ourselves," he said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.