Grand Welcome for Asian Games Archery and Chess Medal Winners:
Vennam Jyothi Surekha, the triple Gold medalist in compound archery at the Asian Games, and Koneru Humpy, who won the Silver medal in the Chess Women’s team event, received an extraordinary welcome from sports enthusiasts and officials upon their arrival at Gannavaram International Airport near Vijayawada.
Remarkably, both athletes hail from Vijayawada and had flown in from New Delhi via Air India. In New Delhi, they had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Young archer Surekha holds the position of deputy collector in the NTR district.
The Hangzhou medal winners were warmly received on behalf of the state government by P. Ramakrishna, the administrative officer of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), along with S.V. Ramana, assistant director (Technical), and S.A. Azeez, NTR district chief coach. Additionally, prominent figures present included Padmaja Bala, former chief coach of the Indian Kabaddi team, Eda Sulochana of the Andhra Pradesh Throwball Association, N. Brahmaji from the Krishna District Olympic Association, and Coaches from NTR district, namely Babu Rao, P. Isaq, Ravi, Swamy, Srinu, and Santosh.
Jyothi Surekha’s parents, Sri Durga and Surendra, as well as students from Nalanda Educational Institution and KL University, extended a warm reception to Surekha and Humpy. During the event, Surekha, the triple gold medal winner, expressed her ambitions, stating that she is now setting her sights on the Asian Championship, scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand from November 4 to November 12. She mentioned a series of upcoming international tournaments and her intention to focus on them one at a time.
Surekha also shared how Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s support, which included providing her with the position of deputy collector, had been a great source of encouragement. Koneru Humpy, the Asian Games chess silver medalist and grandmaster, expressed her delight at winning two silver medals and highlighted the unique atmosphere in China during the Asian Games.
She noted that, for the first time, both men’s and women’s teams had secured silver medals. Subsequently, both Surekha and Humpy returned to their respective homes in Vijayawada, accompanied by their family members.
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