"I had come with the motive to win one gold medal": Ojas Deotale speaks after winning gold in archery
Oct 07, 2023
Hangzhou [China], October 7 : After winning the gold medal in compound archery men's individual event at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday, the Indian archer Ojas Pravin Deotale said that he came to the ongoing multi-sport event with a motive to win gold for India.
While speaking to ANI, the gold medalist in the compound archery men's individual event also thanked the Indian government, his coaches, his parents, and all the supporting staff for helping him seal the gold medal for India.
He also congratulated all the Indian athletes for reaching a remarkable milestone of 100 medals at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou.
"I had come with the motive to win one gold medal for India, but after winning three gold medals, it feels as if I am in a dream... I would like to congratulate other Indian athletes as well for reaching 100 medals at the Asian Games. It is a big number for India... It feels proud that India is growing... I want to thank the Indian government, coaches, my parents, and all the supporting staff who are behind this gold medal," Ojas Pravin Deotale told ANI.
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old archer Abhishek Verma clinched the silver medal in the compound archery men's individual event and said that archery is growing in India and getting all the support from the nation.
Verma added that the Indian contingent will be trying to clinch more than 200 medals in the next Asian Games.
"It feels good... I won two medals in 2014 and one medal in 2018 as well... India is growing very well... We are getting support of all kinds... Archery is growing very well... We will try to win more than 200 medals next time," Abhishek Verma said.
The Indian archers continued to show their dominance at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou. Both the Indian archers Ojas Deotale and Abhishek Verma faced each other in the final of the men's compound archery, and in the end, Pravin defeated Abhishek to bag the gold medal by a margin of 149-147.
With the medals in archery and other events on Saturday, India reached the 100-medal mark at the Asian Games 2023.
India currently stands in fourth place in the medal tally with a total of 100 medals, which includes 25 gold,35 silver, and 40 bronze.
