Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod overcome South Korea 5-3 in windy conditions, while Kumkum and Dhiraj Bommadevara enter the mixed recurve final.
NAGOYA, (Economy India): India’s women’s recurve archery team produced a landmark performance at the Asian Games, defeating defending champions and 10-time Olympic champions South Korea 5-3 to win a maiden Asian Games gold medal in the event on Friday.
Seasoned archer Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod maintained their composure in difficult windy conditions to overcome the strong Korean challenge and secure India’s historic victory.
India Holds Nerve Under Pressure
The Indian trio delivered a composed performance in challenging conditions, keeping their focus as gusty winds made shooting conditions difficult.
India eventually prevailed 5-3 against South Korea, completing a significant breakthrough for Indian women’s recurve archery at the continental multi-sport event.
The victory was particularly notable given South Korea’s long-standing dominance in Olympic and international archery.
Kumkum Mohod Shines Again
Teenager Kumkum Mohod, 17, played a key role in India’s historic team triumph.
The young archer continued her impressive campaign by partnering with Dhiraj Bommadevara in the mixed recurve event later in the day.
The Indian mixed pair defeated Japan 5-3 to advance to the final, giving India another opportunity to fight for a medal.
Mixed Recurve Pair Into Final
Kumkum and Dhiraj maintained their composure against Japan and secured a 5-3 victory.
Their progression to the final means India remains in contention for another gold medal in the recurve events.
The result also underlines the depth of India’s emerging archery programme, with the young Kumkum contributing to both the women’s team and mixed-pair campaigns.
Historic Achievement for Indian Archery
The women’s recurve team’s victory marks India’s maiden Asian Games gold medal in the event.
The triumph against South Korea, one of the most successful nations in international archery, adds significance to the achievement and provides a major boost to India’s campaign in the sport.
(Economy India)
