Asian Games 2023: India's tally extends to 100 with medals in kabaddi, archery on Day 14

India’s tally reached a historic and monumental 100 medals at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday. On the last day of sporting competition, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Deotale won gold medals, Abhishek Verma a silver and Aditi Gopichand bronze respectively in archery. The century figure came courtesy the women’s kabaddi team.

This is India’s biggest medal haul at any Asian Games with the previous best coming in 2018 when the country won 70 medals in Indonesia.

Asian Games Day 14 Live | Medal Tally | Medal Winners

In the women’s individual compound archery final, Jyothi Surekha Vennam beat Chaewon So of South Korea 149-145 while Aditi Gopichand triumphed 146-140 over Indonesia’s Ratih Zilizati Fadhly. Meanwhile, in an all-India men’s individual compound final, Ojas Deotale edged Abhishek Verma 149-147.

With that, India finished off their archery campaign at the Asian Games with nine medals. India’s previous medals in archery had come in mixed team compound, women’s team compound, men’s team compound, women’s recurve team and men’s recurve team.

Jyothi Surekha Vennam, who has had a stupendous year, continued to hit the mark on Saturday. She led by one point at the end of second set (59-58) despite trailing by one point following the first set. After the third set, that lead grew to two points (89-87) and three points (119-116) after the fourth. Not giving an inch, Vennam extended her lead in the fifth and final set to win by four points. In a game of small margins, Vennam struck a nine on her first arrow before posting 14 consecutive 10s.

In the bronze medal match, Aditi Gopichand kept Fadhly at a distance as the Indonesian archer struggled from the word go. A two point lead after the first set increased to five and six respectively after second and third sets. She kept that momentum and advantage until the final arrow for her first individual Asian Games medal.

In the historic men’s individual compound final, Deotale and Verma, who were part of the gold medal winning team, remained level after the first set at 30-30. But a 9 and an 8 in the second and third sets was all that Deotale needed to build a lead and didn’t let go. Except for a 9 in the fourth set, Deotale went flawless.

Deotale and Vennam conclude the Asian Games campaign with three medals each as part of the multiple medal winners in Hangzhou for India. Aishwary Pratap Singh and Esha Singh top that milestone tally with four medals in shooting.

In the women’s kabaddi final, India edged Chinese Taipei by a narrow one point margin. India led 14-9 at the half-time interval but let the momentum slip in the second half.

Chinese Taipei earned 12 points from outs, 1 as a bonus point, two from all outs and one with a super tackle to pile up 17 points in the second half. In comparison, India played defensively with 10 out points and two bonus points. However, it was enough for India women to clinch the gold medal for a third time in four editions.

India women’s kabaddi team had won gold medal at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014 before this with Iran triumphing in 2018.

India will increase their tally with a medal in men’s kabaddi, one in men’s cricket, one in men’s doubles badminton assured.