India win five medals in Asian GP archery

Kolkata, February 18, 2012: India won a rich haul of one gold, three silver and a bronze medal in the individual section of the first Asian Grand Prix archery tournament at Bangkok today.

Two teenage sensations, Chittibomma Jignas and National champion Rajat Chauhan, combined to give India 1-2 in the men’s compound event. In an all-Indian final, the 18-year-old AP-born Services’ archer subdued Chauhan in the tie-breaker after the two tied the score at 144-144. Both hit the bull’s eye but Jignas’ arrow found to be closer to the centre to give him the second International gold after he won silver at the third Asian Grand Prix at Dhaka last May.

It was a remarkable show by Chauhan of Rajasthan. In his first international assignment, he reached the final apart from emerging the National champion in the all the three age groups: sub-junior, junior and senior in the same year.

It could have been a clean sweep by the Indians had Ritul Chatterjee not lost the bronze medal battle against Nguyen Tien Cuong of Vietnam at 143-147.

India’s quest to win the most coveted events of all, the recurve division, did not come off. India’s two final entries, Mangal Singh Champia and Chekrovolu Swuro, have not done well in individual events over the years. That they managed to win silver medals was indeed praiseworthy.

In the semifinals, Chauhan ousted Nguyen at 149-147 and Jignas eliminated compatriot Ritul Chatterjee 147-143.

Champia came up against a vastly experienced Romain Girouille of France in the men’s recurve final where the two shared the five sets to tie the score at 5-5. In the one-arrow tie-breaker, the Frenchman shot a nine to the Indian eight in a touch and go contest.

Earlier, Champia won against Spain’s Elias Cuesta by 7-3 set points in the semifinals.

Chekrovolu, who held an upper hand in the women’s recurve final against Ren Hayakawa of Japan, erred at the beginning of the third set. After taking the first two sets and a commanding 4-0 set points, the Indian needed just one more set to win the gold medal. Chekrovolu’s first arrow of the third set hit the seven point ring which completely unnerved the Indian.

Ren shot a 10 and a nine to take the set. Chekrovolu cracked in the fourth set shooting 8,9,9 to her opponent’s 10,8,10. The deciding set was a touch and go affair with the confident Japanese winning it in the end.

Chekrovolu edged past Urangungalag Bishindee of Mongolia in the tie-break after both shared the five sets to tie the set score at 5-5. In the tie-breaker, the Indian’s bull’s eye found to be closer to the centre than the Mongolian’s shot.

Both the Indian entries in the women’s compound semifinals, Jhano Hansdah and Gagandeep Kaur, were beaten on way to the final. Jhano lost to ultimate gold medal winner Aung Ngeain of Myanmar 142-145 and Gagandeep fell to silver medallist Nurfatehah Mat Salleh Fatin of Malaysia at 141-143. In the battle for bronze, Jhano prevailed over her much younger opponent in the tie-breaker after both tied the score at 139-139. Jhano got a bull’s eye to Gagandeep’s 8.

A Press release