Asian Games: Ganesh Mani Ratnam Wins Close Match to Advance in Archery
Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, September 28 (ANI): Indian archer Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru secured a place in the quarterfinals of the men’s individual compound event at the 2026 Asian Games after narrowly defeating compatriot Sahil Jadhav by one point on Monday.
Ganesh won the closely fought round-of-16 match 149-148. Both archers produced highly accurate scores, but Ganesh managed to maintain his advantage in the final stages and secured the victory.
Before facing Jadhav, Ganesh defeated Indonesia’s Sostar Andaru Rinaldi 144-142 in an earlier round. His latest victory means he will continue his individual medal campaign at the Games.
Ganesh is scheduled to face Chen Chieh-lun of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals on October 1. The match will be another important test as he attempts to move closer to the medal rounds.
Jadhav had also produced a strong performance earlier in the competition. He defeated Mongolia’s Jamiyangombo Purevdorj 149-137 in the round of 32 before his campaign ended against his Indian teammate.
With Jadhav eliminated, Ganesh is now the only Indian archer remaining in the men’s individual compound event. His progress gives India another opportunity to challenge for an individual medal in archery.
India has also performed strongly in the team events. All five Indian archery teams advanced to the semifinals on Sunday, including the men’s and women’s recurve teams, the mixed recurve team, and the men’s and women’s compound teams.
The strong team performances have added to India’s hopes of winning more medals in archery during the Games. The Indian archers will now look to convert their progress into podium finishes.
Elsewhere, several Indian athletes were competing in different sports on Monday. Surfer Sivaraj Babu exited the men’s shortboard competition after losing to the Philippines’ Alciso Jayuard.
India’s men’s cricket team was also scheduled to face Afghanistan in the Asian Games quarterfinal as it continued its bid to defend the gold medal won at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Athletics also featured several Indian medal hopefuls, with Avinash Sable competing in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase and Murali Sreeshankar in the men’s long jump. Yash Vir Singh and Rohit Yadav were involved in the men’s javelin throw, while Gulveer Singh competed in the men’s 1,500m.
In boxing, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain faced South Korea’s Seong Suyeon in the women’s 75kg quarterfinal.
In shooting, Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Rahi Sarnobat were competing in the women’s 25m pistol qualification. Their performances added another medal opportunity for India as the country’s athletes continued their campaigns across multiple sports.
Ganesh’s victory over Jadhav has ensured that India remains in contention for an individual compound archery medal. His upcoming quarterfinal against Chen Chieh-lun will determine whether he can move into the semifinal and remain on course for the podium.