The 18th Asian Championships started today in Taipei

Archers from the world's largest continent are competing at the modern Taipei Stadium for the next few days, as they battle for Asian champion honours.

The event also includes the first Continental Quota Tournament for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, and will award four quota places to Asian nations - adding to those won at the World Youth Championships in Wuxi earlier this month.

In total, 210 athletes from 17 nations are participating in these 18th Asian Championships; 37 of those athletes are taking part in the Youth Olympic qualifier.

Recurve archers shot qualification and their first elimination round this morning, before compound and recurve cadet Continental Quota Tournament qualifications this afternoon.

Morning session
Recurve archers shot a qualification round of 72 arrows at 70 metres, which ranks athletes for the head-to-head competition brackets. Korean archers led today's field from the start.

CHOI Misun finished top of the women with 673 points, followed by her Korean teammate - 2009 World and Asian champion - JOO Hyun Jung on 667, and a 664 from World Cup Finalist Deepika KUMARI (IND). The top three were joined by the likes of LIN Shi-Shia and TAN Ya-Ting from hosts Chinese Taipei, Dola BANERJEE (IND) and Kaori KAWANAKA (JPN) in the band of 17 archers who won themselves a bye into the 1/16 elimination round.

Those who did not claim a bye stayed on the field for the 1/24 elimination round. Though there were no great surprises, Enkhtuya ALTANGEREL from Mongolia (photo) did beat Olympian Rand ALMASHHADANI (IRQ) in straight sets. WU Chia-Hung (TPE), Sareh ASADI (IRI), Diananda CHOIRUNISA (INA) and Luyiza SAIDIYEVA (KAZ) all advanced to the next elimination stage.

In the men’s competition, three Koreans took the first three places: KU Bonchan finished 1st with 687 points, JIN Jae Wang was 2nd on 678 and JUNG Sung Won's 675 was enough for 3rd. 15 athletes received a bye to the 1/16 elimination round: Shungo TABATA and Takaharu FURAKAWA (JPN), KUO Cheng-Wei (TPE), Khairul Anuar MOHAMAD (MAS) and Jayanta TALUKDAR (IND) were among those.

There were two upsets in the 1/24 elimination round: Johan PRASETYO (INA) - n°37 after qualifications - defeated 28-ranked Rahul BANERJEE (IND), and Md MILON (BAN) beat Oibek SAIDIYEV (KAZ). In this elimination round's only shoot-off, Gan GOMBODORJ (MGL) eliminated Behzad PAKZAD (IRI).

Afternoon session
Compound qualifications were contested at 50 metres, while cadet recurve archers competing in the Continental Qualification Tournament shot at 60 metres. After 72 arrows, archers from the continent’s leading archery nations topped compound qualifications.

Iran, Korea and India dominated the men's rankings. Korea’s MIN Lihong (photo) and CHOI Yong Hee took 1st and 6th; Iran’s Amir KAZEMPOOR was 2nd, Hamzeh NEKOEEI 5th and Esmaeil EBADI 8th - while India had Abhishek VERMA in 3rd, Ratan Singh KHURAIJAM 4th and 9th claimed by Sandeep KUMAR. Thailand had Nitiphum CHATACHOT finish in 7th, too - and Pavel FISCHER (KAZ) rounded out the top ten.

The same countries performed well in the women's event. Lily Chanu PONAM (IND) took first, and her teammates Jyothi Surekha VENNAM and Trisha DEB finished 7th and 10th. Korea had 2nd and 4th with CHOI Bomin and SEOK Ji Hyun, while Abedi MINO of Iran slotted into 3th. Completing the top-ten catalogue: 5th for Fatimah ALMASHHADANI (IRQ), Chinese Taipei's WEN Ning-Meng taking 6th and CHEN Li Ju 9th - and Indonesia’s Dellie THREESYADINDA in 8th.

Cadet recurve archers born between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 1999 contested the YOG Asian qualification tournament - which will award two additional quota places to each gender category for next year's Nanjing Youth Olympic Games - were shot today, ranking competitors for tomorrow's head-to-head brackets.

Luis Gabriel MORENO (PHI) took command of the cadet boys’ category, followed by Japan's Hiroto TAKEUCHI in 2nd - and Dian RAMADHAN (INA), who finished 3rd.

Kazakhstan archers took 1st and 3rd in the girls’ ranking: Aruzhan ABDRAZAK and Maryam RAZBAN. Bianca GOTUACO (PHI) ended the day 2nd.

Follow competition results and news from the Asian Championships on our website.

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