Aditi Swami creates history, becomes youngest ever world champion at 17

By India Today Sports Desk: Marking her place in history, the 17-year-old Aditi Swami emerged as the youngest-ever senior world champion on Saturday. She clinched India’s maiden individual title at the World Archery Championships with an outstanding performance in the compound women’s category.

Aditi, a native of the drought-stricken region of Satara in Maharashtra, notched up an almost perfect score of 149 out of 150, outdoing Andrea Becerra of Mexico by a margin of two points.

This meritorious class 12 student successfully bagged her second world champion title in less than two months, having previously won the Under-18 title at the Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland, on July 8.

She is now recognised as India’s first individual world champion in archery, encompassing all disciplines and genders.

Aditi had previously partnered with Parneet Kaur and Jyothi Surekha Vennam to seize India’s inaugural World Archery Championships gold in the compound women’s team final. Throughout the individual final, Aditi maintained her formidable stance, overpowering formidable opponents and securing India’s second World Championship gold.

Aditi also surpassed Netherlands’ Sanne De Laat in a nail-biting quarterfinal shoot-off and tackled her idol, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, in the semi-finals. Aditi proved unbeatable that day, having only dropped four points and shot four consecutive ends of 30 in the final.

“Bas India ke pehla liye gold jitna tha, aur kuchh soch dimag mein nahin aaya (I was just focused on winning the first gold for the country),” Aditi told PTI.

“I knew she was very experienced and someone whom I grew up watching and idolising but I just kept my focus on my shooting, rest just fell in place.”

“I am very proud, I wanted to hear the 52 seconds of the national anthem to be played at the World Championships.”

“This is just the start. We have the Asian Games coming up, I want to win gold for the country and continue to win team gold for the country.”

The day further infused pride into the Indian contingent as Ojas Deotale secured the world champion title in the compound men’s category, amassing an impeccable score of 150.

India boasted a record-breaking finish at the World Championship with a cumulative tally of four medals – three golds and one bronze.