Karate black belt to archery gold: How sports-tragic father steered Chikitha’s sports choice

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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.

"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.

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.

"After Saina Nehwal won an Olympic medal, he decided that I should play another sport (archery instead of karate)," she revealed.

Her father might have decided the course of her life but Ms. Chikitha said her native place did not have the requisite facilities to pursue archery.

" I was in school at that time. We didn't know much about anything. Then I messaged Abhishek Verma sir's wife. Ma'am told me to come. Then we went there and I trained for five days. I was selected to train in Sonipat. From that time to now, he (Abhishek Verma) is supporting me, helping me, teaching me. He is my inspiration," the young compound archer said.

Ms. Chikitha became world youth champion last year. She also won team silver in the World Cup in 2025 and this year. On Wednesday, in the mixed final against Korea, Ms. Chikitha and Mr. Sahil survived a tense shoot-off to finish on top.

Asked what she does to remain calm, the youngster said, "I do meditation and breathing exercises regularly, twice a day. I trust my process and follow it for a long time."

The golds this morning have also eased the pressure that she had built on herself in the past few months.

"Personally, I have been struggling this past year, facing some difficulties. After becoming world champion last year, it became very difficult for me to perform at the same level. I was struggling with my shooting aim. I went to the Asia Cup and won two medals, and I worked really hard after that and I got back to the first team. I just concentrated and said 'you have to do it for yourself and give it 100'," she said.

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