Picture Credit: Twitter
On Saturday, July 8 archer Aditi Gopichand Swami achieved the greatest victory of her career by becoming the Under-18 women's world champion in Limerick, Ireland. This remarkable feat makes her the fourth Indian to win an individual medal at the World Archery Youth Championships, following in the footsteps of Palton Hansda (2006), Deepika Kumari (2009, 2011), and Komalika Bari (2019, 2021). Aditi's triumph also marks the first time an Indian female compound archer has secured a medal in the history of the World Youth Championships.
Aditi's victory was her second medal at the event, as she had previously won gold in the team event alongside Aishwarya Sharma and Ekta Rani in the U-18 compound archery category. Aditi's exceptional skills were evident when she broke the Under-18 compound women's qualifying record during the World Cup last month. Additionally, she made her senior debut at the World Cup, where she secured a team bronze in Medellin, Colombia. Aditi's achievements extend beyond the youth championships, as she also won an individual silver medal at the Asia Cup Leg 3 in Sharjah last year.
During the intense final match against Leann, Aditi showcased her dominance by defeating her opponent with a score of 142-136. Right from the start, Aditi took control of the contest and established a five-point lead at the halfway mark.
In another historic achievement for India, Priyansh claimed the under-21 world champion title in compound archery in Ireland on Saturday. This remarkable win adds to India's glory, as it is the first time the country has produced two individual medallists at a single edition of the World Archery Youth Championships.
Priyansh clinched the gold medal in the men's U-21 individual final by defeating Aljaz Brenk from Slovenia with a score of 147-141. This victory boosted India's overall medal count to nine, including five gold medals. Priyansh faced a challenging opening round, with the former Under-18 world champion Brenk matching his score of 29 by shooting two arrows closer to the target. However, Priyansh displayed composure and delivered a perfect round of 30, causing the Slovenian competitor to falter under pressure after a promising start in the first end.
