Asian Games: Sahil Jadhav Sets Sights On LA Olympics After Double Gold

Asian Games: Sahil Jadhav sets sights on LA Olympics after double gold (Archer Sahil Jadhav sets sights on LA Olympics after double gold medal haul in the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya on Wednesday. Photo credit: IANS )

Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru: Sahil Rajesh Jadhav has already set his sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after a memorable Asian Games campaign in which he won two gold medals and helped India complete a clean sweep of the three compound archery titles.

The 25-year-old from Satara in Maharashtra starred on Wednesday, winning the mixed team and men’s team gold medals while also earning an Olympic quota for India in the mixed compound event for the Los Angeles Games.

Even as the Indian national anthem echoed around the archery arena following his second gold of the day, Sahil was already thinking about the next major challenge of his career.

“It’s okay. I am happy that I won two Asian Games gold medals and made the country and my parents proud. But there is a lot more to achieve,” Sahil told SAI Media on a video call. “I am happy that I was able to deliver my best performance today and also earned a quota for the next Olympics,” he added.

The Indian men’s compound team of Sahil, Kushal Dalal and Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru edged China 238-237 in the final to win gold, shortly after Sahil had teamed up with Chikitha Taniparthi to beat South Korea in a shoot-off and claim the mixed team title.

Earlier in the day, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep defeated China 238-234 in the women’s compound team final, equalling the world record.

Sahil, who trains at the SAI National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata, said he had travelled to Japan confident of putting up a strong performance.

“Every athlete aims to win the gold, to put up his best performance. I was confident that I had the ability to win the gold. That is why I toiled hard during practice over the past several months. I knew I could produce something special,” Sahil said.

The success in the ongoing Asian Games was built on meticulous preparation by the coaching staff at the SAI National Centres of Excellence in Kolkata and Sonipat. Simulation training at Sonipat helped the archers prepare for competition situations, while all-weather training in India and an acclimatisation camp at Kurobe City in Japan helped them adapt to different conditions.

Sahil’s coach Haresh Kumar recalled the extensive preparations undertaken by the archers in the build-up to the Asian Games.

“We have trained in all weather conditions. We trained at Shillaru in Himachal Pradesh, where we trained in cold and rainy conditions. Then we trained at SAI, Sonipat, where it was extremely hot. We reached Japan around 10-15 days before the Asian Games and trained in extremely windy conditions. It was all due to Sahil’s efforts that he was able to convert his hard work into gold medals,” he said.

Haresh was delighted with the way Sahil executed the strategies they had worked on during training. “I am happy with all his shots, as Sahil was able to perfectly execute all the tactics we had practised ahead of the Asian Games. As a coach, Sahil has made me extremely proud,” he said. “Sahil had worked hard during practice. That is why he was able to convert his sweat and hard work into gold medals,” he added.

“We have trained in all weather conditions. We trained at Shillaru in Himachal Pradesh, where we trained in cold and rainy conditions. Then we trained at SAI, Sonipat, where it was extremely hot. We reached Japan around 10-15 days before the Asian Games and trained in extremely windy conditions. It was all due to Sahil’s efforts that he was able to convert his hard work into gold medals,” he said.

Article Source: IANS