Telangana’s Chikitha etches India’s name in gold on the world stage

Peddapalli: A village field, a makeshift target and a farmer father who refused to let circumstances decide his daughter’s destiny. What began as a simple fascination with archery in Sultanpur has blossomed into a remarkable international success story, with Telangana’s daughter Taniparthi Chikitha winning two gold medals in compound archery at the 2026 Asian Games.

The 21-year-old archer from Sultanpur village of Eligedu mandal in Peddapalli district scripted a golden chapter on her Asian Games debut. She joined Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Prithika Pradeep to defeat China 238-234 in the women’s compound team final. The score also equalled the world record for a 24-arrow compound women’s team match. Later, partnering Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, she overcame South Korea in a tense mixed-team final to clinch her second gold. The victory secured India the two quota places available in the compound mixed-team event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where compound archery will make its Olympic debut.

But medals glisten, and beyond them is a road of limited facilities, financial sacrifice and steadfast family backing.

Chikitha’s journey into archery started with a recreational bow she found at a family gathering.

The experience piqued her interest in the sport, and she began practising in the fields behind her house in Sultanpur.

As a schoolgirl, she was also interested in karate and went on to earn a black belt. Her father, Srinivasa Rao, a paddy farmer, encouraged her sporting interests and recognised her growing passion for archery.

The major challenge was the lack of proper infrastructure.

Sultanpur lacked modern facilities for archery, and the cost of professional coaching and equipment was prohibitive. Srinivasa Rao, however, made temporary arrangements near their house and agricultural fields. He set up targets using cardboard boxes and cloth, allowing Chikitha to practise regularly.

After the paddy harvest, the family’s agricultural surroundings became her training ground.

She practised relentlessly, gradually transforming what had begun as a village pastime into a disciplined sporting pursuit.

Srinivasa Rao took a Rs 3.5 lakh loan to purchase another bow and meet training expenses. He also sold the family’s rice harvester to support his daughter’s career.

As Chikitha’s talent became increasingly evident, the family realised that practice at home alone would not be enough to take her to the international stage.

Their search for better coaching eventually took them to Delhi, where they came into contact with Indian international compound archer Abhishek Verma. He mentored Chikitha and supported her development before she was selected to the Sports Authority of India centre in Sonipat.

In 2022, she entered the SAI system, marking a major turning point in her career.

The move from improvised village training to a structured high-performance environment helped hone her natural ability. She then progressed through the national and international circuits, gaining valuable experience in major competitions and steadily establishing herself as one of India’s promising young compound archers.

The defining international breakthrough came in 2025.

At the World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, Canada, Chikitha defeated Korea’s Yerin Park 142-136 in the Under-21 women’s compound individual final.

With that victory, she became the first Indian woman to win the individual Under-21 compound world title. The official World Archery results record Chikitha as the gold medallist, with Yerin Park taking silver and Korea’s Riye Park winning bronze.

The world title marked a major milestone in her rise on the international stage.

The Asian Games provided an even bigger stage.

Chikitha, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Prithika Pradeep defeated China 238-234 in the women’s compound team final. Their score equalled the world record for a 24-arrow compound women’s team match, adding another distinction to India’s gold-medal performance.

But the second gold demanded even greater composure.

In the mixed-team final, Chikitha and Sahil Jadhav were locked at 157-157 with South Korea after four ends. The contest went into a shoot-off.

Chikitha and Jadhav held their nerve, producing two 10s for a total of 20. South Korea managed 19 after one of its arrows landed in the 9-ring. India won the shoot-off 20-19 to claim gold.

The victory also secured India the two Olympic quota places available for the compound mixed-team event at LA 2028. For Chikitha, it was her second gold medal of the day.

Speaking to The Hans India, Chikitha said she was extremely happy to have won two gold medals at the Asian Games — one in the women’s team event and another in the mixed-team event.

“It is a great feeling to win two gold medals at the Asian Games. I am even happier that this victory helped India secure qualification in the mixed-team event for the Los Angeles Olympics-2028,” she said.

Chikitha said the achievement was the result of sustained preparation over the past six months.

“I trained continuously at the sports camp for the last six months in preparation for the Asian Games. I remained focused on my goal and followed the same discipline throughout my preparation. That consistency helped me achieve this success,” she said.

Speaking to The Hans India, Chikitha’s father Srinivasa Rao expressed happiness over her performance and recalled the years of struggle behind her success.

“I decided that I wanted to make my daughter a champion. I was prepared to face any difficulty for that,” he said.

He recalled facing criticism from relatives and neighbours for encouraging his daughter to pursue sport and for borrowing money to meet the expenses involved.

“But I had faith in my daughter. I knew that one day she would bring recognition to our family and our State,” he said.

That faith came with considerable sacrifice. The family had to find money for equipment, coaching and travel, while Chikitha travelled outside Telangana in search of better training and expert guidance.

Her mother, Srilatha Rao, also remained a constant source of support as the family stood behind Chikitha’s sporting ambitions. Chikitha’s brother Yashwanth, who is studying Intermediate first year, is also part of the family that has stood by her journey.

Chikitha’s story is about more than two Asian Games medals.

It is about a farmer who saw potential in his daughter before the wider sporting world recognised it. It is about a young athlete who continued practising despite the absence of sophisticated facilities. And it is about a family that made difficult financial choices to keep a sporting dream alive.

The journey took Chikitha from the fields of Sultanpur to structured training in Sonipat, from national competitions to the world championship podium, and finally to two Asian Games gold medals.

Her story shows that sporting dreams do not always begin in elite academies. Sometimes they begin in a village field, with a makeshift target, a determined child and a parent willing to believe before the world does.

For Peddapalli and Telangana, Chikitha’s golden double marks the culmination of years of perseverance — and opens another chapter in a journey that now extends towards Los Angeles 2028.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thirunagari Venkateshwara Swamy

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