"Performance has been very good": Archery coach Jiwanjot after India's two Asiad Gold medals

Indian archers clinched Gold medals in the compound women's team and compound mixed team events on Wednesday, with the mixed team victory also securing a quota place for India in the compound mixed team event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

"Our performance has been very good so far. No doubt we have won two Golds. In the last Asian Games as well, our performance was similar. Now, our men's team is going to play, and tomorrow we have the individual medal matches. In all these, if we can build upon our performance of nine medals from the last Asian Games and convert it into at least ten medals this time, then we will feel that our preparation was better than before," Jiwanjot told ANI.

Talking about the closely fought women's compound team final against China, where India maintained composure under pressure to secure the Gold medal, the coach said managing emotions and understanding the mindset of the athletes played a key role.

"Actually, every individual gets tense, no doubtsome less, some more. The main point is that when you act as a coach there, you are everything for the team. You are the coach, the psychologist, and you even have to act like a mother and father," he said.

Jiwanjot added that understanding the athletes' mood and helping them stay focused was crucial during high-pressure situations.

"You have to pay close attention to the archer's moodhow they are feeling, how to approach them so they can convert their practice and hard work into results. That is how I worked with the team, and we succeeded in helping them translate their practice into actual results," he added.

India's compound women's team comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep defeated China 238-234 to win Gold, while Chikitha and Sahil Jadhav defeated South Korea in a shoot-off to claim the compound mixed team title. (ANI)