India started Friday with a historic archery gold at the Asian Games 2026, as the women’s recurve team of Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod stunned 10-time Olympic champion South Korea 5-3 to top the podium. The Indian trio held their nerve in challenging windy conditions to outshoot the defending champions.
It was India’s first-ever gold medal in this event. The previous best finish at Asian Games by the women’s recurve team came in 2022 (Hangzhou), when the trio of Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur and Simranjeet Kaur had to settle for a bronze.
The victory capped an upward curve for the Indian women’s team, which had ended a five-year wait for a World Cup gold in Shanghai in May, defeating Korea in the semifinals en route to the title.
It was largely the same Indian combination that triumphed in Shanghai, with Kirti replacing former world number one Deepika Kumari, who failed to qualify for the through the selection trials.
The two teams traded the opening two sets, both finishing level at 54 and 56 points respectively, as neither side managed to gain an early advantage. The Korean team, featuring Kang Chaeyoung, a part of the Tokyo Olympics gold medal winning side, alongside Oh Yejin and Lee Yunji, then faltered in the third set, dropping three consecutive 8s to finish with 52 points.
India capitalised on the opening, shooting 55 to take the set and move 4-2 ahead. Under pressure, Korea responded with 54 points in the fourth set. Kirti began with an 8, but the arrow was decisively upgraded to a 9 after review, taking India’s total to 54.
The scores were level, but that was enough for India to secure the set and complete a landmark victory over the formidable South Korean trio. India had earlier defeated China 5-1 in the semifinal to storm into their first final.
The women’s recurve triumph is India’s fourth archery gold at the Games, following titles for the men’s compound, women’s compound and mixed compound teams.
Later, Kumkum then joined forces with Dhiraj Bommadevara to storm into the mixed recurve final, with the Indian pair edging past Japan 5-3. The Indians made a slow start, dropping the opening set 37-38, but gradually found their rhythm to share the second before taking the third and drawing level at 3-3.
Dhiraj and Kumkum then capitalised on a costly 7 from Japan to win the fourth set 37-35 and seal India’s first-ever Asian Games final berth in the recurve mixed team event.
