Chikitha Taniparthi Wins Double Gold On Asian Games Debut

Chikitha Taniparthi left her first Asian Games with two compound archery gold medals, turning a childhood switch from karate into the result her father had imagined when he pushed her towards sport.

The 21-year-old from Sultanpur village in Telangana’s Peddapalli district won the women’s team gold with Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Prithika Pradeep, before combining with Sahil Jadhav for the mixed team top honours.

For Ms. Chikitha, the medals did more than mark a “smashing debut”; they also vindicated a decision made by her father when she was still a school-going child more drawn to karate than archery.

“I didn't get into archery on my own. It was my father's choice. He wanted me to play sport because he couldn't play any sport. When I was small, he used to take us to playgrounds,” she recalled.

“We used to play some games everyday,” she said, describing the early routine that preceded her eventual shift into archery.

From karate practice to a backyard target

Before archery became her main sport, Ms. Chikitha practised karate in school from 6th grade till 8th grade.

“In school, from 6th grade till 8th grade, I practised karate. I got my first black belt also,” she said.

Her first bow was not competition equipment but a toy gifted by her uncle on Dusshera.

The toy intrigued her, and she enjoyed shooting arrows at a target she created in her backyard.

She later recalled that her father’s younger brother, who lives in Hyderabad, had bought a recurve Decathlon bow during a Dussehra holiday.

“...there was a Dussehra holiday, my father's younger brother who lives in Hyderabad, bought a recurve Decathlon bow. I tried it just for fun. We used to shoot just for fun at that time,” she said.

What began as play at home gradually became a more serious pursuit after her father, Srinvasa Rao, realised that she had potential.

Once he saw that potential, Srinvasa Rao took a loan to buy her upgraded equipment so that her skill could be developed better.

Ms. Chikitha began pursuing archery seriously in 2018 and was picked for the junior camp in 2021.

A father’s push towards an individual sport

Ms. Chikitha said her father was always keen on her playing an individual sport, because both credit and blame would be solo.

His resolve was strengthened after he saw Hyderabad-based Saina Nehwal become India’s first Olympic medallist in badminton.

“After Saina Nehwal won an Olympic medal, he decided that I should play another sport (archery instead of karate),” Ms. Chikitha revealed.

The decision shaped the course of her sporting life, but Ms. Chikitha said her native place did not have the facilities needed to pursue archery.

“I was in school at that time. We didn't know much about anything,” she said.

Her pathway then led her towards Abhishek Verma, one of India’s most decorated compound archers, who trained her briefly.

“Then I messaged Abhishek Verma sir's wife. Ma'am told me to come. Then we went there and I trained for five days. I was selected to train in Sonipat. From that time to now, he (Abhishek Verma) is supporting me, helping me, teaching me. He is my inspiration,” Ms. Chikitha said.

She has trained in Sonepat since 2022, after the early push from her family and the later support she described from Abhishek Verma.

“My father is a farmer and my mother is a housewife. I worked very hard and I have trained in Sonepat since 2022. This is my first Asian Games and winning two medals is special,” she said.

Building a record before the Asian Games

Before her Asian Games debut, Ms. Chikitha had already become world youth champion last year.

She also won team silver in the World Cup in 2025 and this year.

Those results formed the backdrop to her Asian Games campaign, where her two gold medals confirmed her arrival on the big stage.

On Wednesday, in the mixed final against Korea, Ms. Chikitha and Sahil survived a tense shoot-off to finish on top.

The win added to the women’s team gold she had already claimed with Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Prithika Pradeep.

Asked how she remains calm, Ms. Chikitha pointed to a regular routine of meditation and breathing exercises.

“I do meditation and breathing exercises regularly, twice a day. I trust my process and follow it for a long time,” she said.

Pressure, struggle and a return to the first team

The two gold medals also eased the pressure Ms. Chikitha said she had built on herself in the past few months.

“Personally, I have been struggling this past year, facing some difficulties,” she said.

She said that after becoming world champion last year, it became difficult for her to keep performing at the same level.

“After becoming world champion last year, it became very difficult for me to perform at the same level. I was struggling with my shooting aim,” she said.

Ms. Chikitha said she went to the Asia Cup and won two medals, then worked hard after that to get back to the first team.

“I went to the Asia Cup and won two medals, and I worked really hard after that and I got back to the first team,” she said.

Her approach after that was to focus on herself and commit fully to the process.

“I just concentrated and said 'you have to do it for yourself and give it 100',” she said.

The outcome was a first Asian Games campaign in which a former school karate practitioner, guided into archery by her father’s choice, returned with two gold medals.

Source: The Hindu