Asian Games archery, chess medal winners receive grand welcome

VIJAYAWADA: Asian Games compound archery triple Gold medal winner Vennam Jyothi Surekha and Chess Women's team Silver winner Koneru Humpy received an unprecedented welcome from sports enthusiasts and officials when the two arrived at the Gannavaram International Airport near Vijayawada on Wednesday. Incidentally, both of them are residents of Vijayawada. They arrived at the city from New Delhi by an Air India flight.

In New Delhi, the duo met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Young archer Surekha is a deputy collector of NTR district. On behalf of the state government, Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) administrative officer (AO) P. Ramakrishna, assistant director (Technical) S.V. Ramana and NTR district chief coach S.A. Azeez received the Hangzhou medal winners. Indian Kabaddi team former chief coach Padmaja Bala, Andhra Pradesh Throwball Association general secretary Eda Sulochana, Krishna District Olympic Association’s N. Brahmaji, and NTR district coaches P. Isaq, Ravi, Swamy, Babu Rao, Srinu and Santosh were also present. Jyothi Surekha's mother Sri Durga and father Surendra, Nalanda Educational Institution, and KL University students gave a cheerful welcome to Surekha and Humpy.

Speaking on the occasion, triple gold medal winner Surekha said she is now eyeing Asian Championship, which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from November 4 to November 12. There are also a series of international tournaments. She will focus on them one at a time. Surekha said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s encouragement by providing her a deputy collector’s job encouraged her immensely. Asian Games chess Silver medalist and grandmaster Koneru Humpy expressed her happiness over winning two silver medals.

“It was a different atmosphere in China. For the first time, both men's and women's teams won the silver medals in the Asian Games,” she stated. Both Surekha and Humpy later reached their respective homes in Vijayawada along with their family members.