City archer and Arjuna awardee Vennam Jyothi Surekha ended her international assignment for the year 2017 in a triumphant note clinching three medals at the recently-concluded 20th Asian Archery Championship at Dhaka (Bangladesh).
She won gold in team event, silver in mixed and bronze in the individual event in the tournament, which saw Indians giving a tough fight to the numero uno team – Korea.
“We are equal to Koreans in all respects including equipment and technique. The archer who gets adjusted the conditions well emerged winner because what separates a winner and loser is a wafer-thin margin,” Surekha told to The Hindu, on her return from Dhaka.
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Twenty-one-year old management student of Koneru Lakshmaiah University is eagerly looking forward to 2018 in which the prestigious Asian Games will be held at Jakarta (Indonesia) in August.
“We do not know how many events would figure in the compound segment. But I am mentally preparing for all three events - team, mixed and individual. Soon both Archery Associaiton of India and Sports Authourity of India will decide about the coaching camps”.
Surekha said arriving at the venue, especially in alien countries, one day before the official practice gave the archers to chance to get used the weather conditions and the ambiance.
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The early part of 2017 was not significant for the ace archer as she could not a win medals in the Asia Cup (Bangkok), World Cup Stage One (Shanghai), Two (Antalya), Four (Berlin) and at World Universities at Chinese Taipei.
But she had a memorable world championship at Mexico when she won silver medal in her mixed event partnering Abhishek Varma. “In the individual ranking round, I lost in the pre-quarterfinal narrowly. I was tied with a Korean 146-146 and in the single arrow shootout we both hit the 10 points but her arrow was close to the X enabling her to advance”.
Incidentally she has been representing the country for the past of seven years. Surekha also received the coveted Arjuna award for her contribution to the archery.
The Andhra Pradesh State government announced a reward of ₹ 1 crore, a 500-square yard house site in Vijayawada and a government job for achieving the prestigious Arjuna award.