Asian Games 2026: Andhra athletes win three golds and two bronzes

Jyothi Surekha Vennam in action during the 2026 Asian Games in Okazaki, Japan. | Photo credit: REUTERS

Andhra Pradesh athletes have so far bagged three gold medals and a bronze at the Asian Games in Japan, with archery, cricket and badminton contributing to the tally.

According to Ramana, Head of Section (Associations), Andhra Pradesh Sports Authority, nine athletes from the state are competing. They are badminton players PV Sindhu, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Kidambi Srikanth and Kavipriya Selvam; cricketer Sree Charani; archers Dhiraj Bommadevara, Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam and Jyothi Surekha Vennam; and hurdler Jyothi Yarraji.

On Wednesday (September 30, 2026), Jyothi Surekha and Ganesh clinched gold as India swept all three team titles in compound archery in Okazaki City. Jyothi Surekha with Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep beat China 238-234 to equal the world record. Ganesh, from Naidupeta in Tirupati district, joined Kushal Dalal and Sahil Jadhav in beating China 238-237 after defeating South Korea in the semi-finals.

A day later, Ganesh added bronze in the men’s individual combination, defeating Vietnam’s Cong Duc Dang 149-144 with 14 of his 15 arrows in the 10-round. In the semi-finals, he lost 144:148 to South Korean Kim Chong. Andhra Pradesh Sports Authority Chairman A. Ravi Naidu said Ganesh had brought recognition to India and Andhra Pradesh on the international stage and was an inspiration to young sportspersons.

President Droupadi Murmu told the women’s team that their “accuracy, poise and teamwork made the nation proud”. On the men’s win, she said, “Indian archery netted gold in all three composite team events and achieved a remarkable performance.”

Hearty congratulations to Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, Ganesh Maniratnam Thirumuru and Kushal Dalal for winning the gold medal in the men’s compound event at the 2026 Asian Games!

Indian archery, which completed a clean sweep of gold in all three events of the composite team, achieved…

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 30, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the women’s victory “is even more special because their performance also equaled the world record”. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya called the men’s gold “a proud moment for Indian archery and for the entire nation”.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said Ganesh’s “journey from Naidupeta to international stardom is a testament to what can be achieved with focus and hard work”. Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan said the women’s team “brought the tricolor to the highest podium”. IT Minister Nara Lokesh called Ganesh’s journey “a matter of immense pride for our state”.

A moment of immense pride #AndhraPradesh and the whole nation!

Hearty congratulations to Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru along with Sahil Jadhav and Kushal Dalal for winning the gold medal in men’s archery. #AsianGames2026!

They keep the peace in… pic.twitter.com/gpSvM4PrTN

— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) September 30, 2026

The men’s badminton team won bronze. Each member of the team, including Satwiksairaj and Srikanth, is getting a medal, Mr. Ramana said. India lost 3-1 to China in the semi-finals at Ichinomiya.

For Jyothi Surekha, Wednesday’s gold is the sixth medal in four consecutive Asian Games: four gold, one silver and one bronze. “Her experience is a big asset,” said her father Surendra Kumar of Vijayawada.

According to him, sport runs in the family. She started swimming as a child and at the age of five she swam across the Krishna, a feat recorded in the Lim Book of Records. She took up archery at the age of 12. “Having seen her relive this childhood experience, her achievements do not seem entirely unexpected to us,” said Mr. Surendra Kumar.

The Volga Archery Academy in Vijayawada, run by Cherukuri Satyanarayana, has produced several top archers of the state. Mr. Satyanarayana, Vice-President of Archery Association of India and President of AP Archery Association, attributed the archers’ success to discipline, concentration and timing.

Among her charges is Dhiraj, who set an Asian Games record 698 in the recurve judging round and reached the individual quarter-finals and team semi-finals.

Hearty congratulations to Kushal Dalal and Sahil Jadhav, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumura for winning team gold in men’s archery at #AsianGames2026.

Ganesha, you have made Andhra Pradesh proud. May your success inspire young athletes across our country and our state to… pic.twitter.com/rAKHcXGMc6

— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) September 30, 2026

Published – 01 Oct 2026 05:44 IST