Limerick: A strong 24-member Indian contingent is currently participating in the prestigious World Archery Youth Championships 2023, held in Limerick, Ireland. The highly anticipated event began on Monday, July 3, and will conclude on Sunday, July 9.
Now in its 18th edition, the World Archery Youth Championships features competitions for both men’s and women’s recurve and compound archers in the under-21 and under-18 age categories. The University of Limerick serves as the venue for the individual and team events, where India has sent 12 archers each in the U21 and U18 age groups.
Leading the charge for India’s U21 archery squad are compound archers Prathamesh Jawkar and Pragati. Jawkar recently secured a gold medal at the Shanghai stage of the Archery World Cup 2023 in May, showcasing his exceptional skills. Pragati, on the other hand, boasts the impressive title of being a two-time Asia Cup champion at the senior level. Furthermore, recurve archer Parth Salunke, a member of the gold-winning men’s team at the 2021 youth championships, is also among the strong contenders representing India.
India’s U18 contingent is spearheaded by 17-year-old women’s compound archer Aditi Gopichand Swami. Swami recently achieved the U18 world record in the qualification round while competing at the senior Archery World Cup in Medellin, Colombia, last month, further highlighting her immense talent.
In the previous edition of the World Archery Youth Championships held in Wroclaw, Poland, in 2021, India secured an impressive total of 15 medals, including eight golds, enabling them to top the medal table. With such a successful track record, the Indian archers have high hopes for their performances in Limerick.
The 2023 edition of the championships features a total of 518 archers, 277 men and 241 women, representing 58 countries. These talented athletes from around the world will be competing in individual and team events, vying for coveted medals, and aiming to leave their mark on the global archery stage.
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