India’s Women’s Recurve Team Wins Historic Asian Games Gold

India celebrated a historic victory at the 2026 Asian Games as their women’s recurve archery team claimed gold. The team, consisting of Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma, and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod, defeated South Korea—ten-time Olympic champions—in a thrilling match with a score of 5-3. Despite challenging windy conditions, the Indian trio stayed focused and outperformed their opponents.

This win marked India’s first gold medal in the women’s recurve event at the Asian Games. Previously, their best finish was bronze in 2022. The victory also continued India’s upward trajectory, following a World Cup gold in Shanghai earlier that year, where they had already beaten South Korea in the semifinals.

The Indian team remained largely unchanged from their World Cup success, with Kirti Sharma stepping in for Deepika Kumari, who did not qualify for the Asian Games. The match against South Korea was closely contested, with both teams scoring equally in the first two sets. However, India capitalized on a weaker third set by South Korea to take control of the game. They then held their nerve under pressure to secure a landmark victory.

India’s success extended beyond the women’s recurve team as Kumkum later paired with Dhiraj Bommadevara to reach the mixed recurve final. The Indian duo overcame Japan in a hard-fought match, securing India’s first-ever finals berth in this event.

This historic win for India’s archers showcased their growing strength on the international stage.