Amaya Cojuangco misses podium in Asian Games archery

FILE – Philippines’ Amaya Amparo in action Cojuangco. –Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee / Action Images via Reuters

HANGZHOU, China—Ranged against a teenage world champion, Amaya Cojuangco hit the end of the road in women’s archery compound after dropping her quarterfinal match in the 19th Asian Games.

17-year-old Aditi Gopichand Swami of India stopped Cojuangco on her tracks, 149-143, on Tuesday at the Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre Field here to advance to the semifinal where a bronze medal is already guaranteed.

Cojuangco, a two-time Southeast Asian Games champion and multiple medalist in the Asean archery circuit, was a step away from a medal after she got off to a promising start in the 15-arrow, 50-meter shoot off.

She opened her campaign by upending Hong Kong’s Cheng Hung Ting and Chinese Taipei’s Yi-Hsuan Chen in a round of 16 tiebreaker that set Cojuangco up against Swami in the quarters.

Swami, the reigning world champion in the event, missed the bullseye only once on her first shot before the 2023 world cup title-holder zoned in and became a picture of complete calmness.

All of her arrows then accurately hit the target, leaving no room for mistakes while Cojuangco had a couple misses in the first and third frames that proved costly.