VIJAYAWADA: After having secured her 50th international medal in archery, Jyothi Surekha Vennam has set her sights on clinching gold at the World Cup finale scheduled to be held in Mexico from September 9. That’s not it.
The Indian compound archer from Vijayawada is also determined to excel in the Asian Games that will be held at Hangzhou in China from September 22. She is also eager to participate in the Asian Championship, where she has secured 10 medals earlier, for the seventh time.
Popularly known as the Queen of Indian Archery, Surekha etched her name in history once again by bagging a bronze during the World Cup Stage 4 held at Paris in France. This, she hopes, will boost her secure a higher World Archery Rank. She stands at number 4 currently.
Surekha’s precision was on full display as she secured an individual bronze medal by defeating her opponent Sara in an intense shoot-off, which reached the final in a 146/146 tie. With nerves of steel, she shot her way to victory in the tie-breaker.
Speaking to TNIE from Paris, the 27-year-old expressed happiness for her latest win and said, “The support of my family members, invaluable guidance from coaches, senior players and teammates helped me achieve the feat.”
On Saturday, Surekha teamed up with Aditi Swamy and Parnit Kaur to clinch the gold medal in the compound women’s team competition. The trio showcased teamwork as they outperformed their Mexican opponents, prevailing with a narrow margin of 234-233. So far, she has bagged 17 gold, 18 silver, and 15 bronze medals.
Surekha’s father, Surendra Vennam said, “Her achievement of winning 50 international medals will leave an indelible mark on the sport of archery.”