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The two gold medals that young compound archer Chikitha Taniparthi collected in her Asian Games debut have not just announced her arrival on the big stage but also vindicated a choice that her sports-tragic father made for her when she was a school-going child, more interested in pursuing karate.
The 21-year-old from Telangana's Sultanpur village in Peddapalli district clinched the women's team gold alongside Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Prithika Pradeep before combing with Sahil Jadhav for the mixed team top honours.
(From left) India's Prithika Pradeep, Chikitha Taniparthi and Jyothi Surekha Vennam who won gold, pose for photographs after the compound women's team archery event at the 20th Asian Games, in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) | Photo Credit: ARUN SHARMA
"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. We used to play some games everyday," she recalled after what can be described as a smashing debut. "In school, from 6th grade till 8th grade, I practised karate. I got my first black belt also," said the youngster.
Her first bow was a toy gifted by her uncle on Dusshera. It intrigued her and she quite enjoyed playing with it, shooting arrows on a target she created in her backyard.
"...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 recalled.
Once he realised that Chikitha has potential, her father Srinvasa Rao took a loan to buy her upgraded equipment that could craft her skill better. She started pursuing archery seriously in 2018 and was picked up for the the junior camp in 2021.
(From left) India's Sahil Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi during the medal ceremony for the compound mixed team archery event at the 20th Asian Games, in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) | Photo Credit: ARUN SHARMA She eventually met one of India's most decorated compound archers, Abhishek Verma, who trained her briefly.
"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.
Ms. Chikitha's father was always keen on her playing individual sport as both the credit and blame is solo. His resolve was strengthened when he saw Hyderabad-based Saina Nehwal become India's first Olympic medallist in badminton.
The two gold medals that young compound archer Chikitha Taniparthi collected in her Asian Games debut have not just announced her arrival on the big stage but also vindicated a choice that her…