The Indian trio of Kumkum Mohod, Ankita Bhakat and Kirti Sharma displayed remarkable composure under pressure at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo multipurpose park to secure the nation’s first-ever women’s team recurve title at the continental games.
Seventeen-year-old Kumkum Mohod emerged as the hero of the final. The teenager from Amravati repeatedly delivered crucial 10s when India needed them most, including a decisive arrow in the closing stages that helped seal the victory.
Korea, the reigning Olympic champions and the only nation ever to win the Olympic women’s team recurve title, entered the final as heavy favourites. Their Asian Games dominance had been near absolute, with seven consecutive golds since 1998. The shock result left the Korean archers visibly disappointed on the podium.
India’s path to gold was built on fearlessness and smart teamwork. Ankita Bhakat, the most experienced member of the side after her mixed team semi-final appearance at the Paris Olympics, credited the younger archers for shooting without the burden of past disappointments.
“The younger archers like Kumkum and Kirti have no experience of wins and losses. They don’t have that baggage. So they are able to shoot fearlessly,” Bhakat said.
The Indians also showed tactical flexibility. After Kirti Sharma struggled early, the team switched the shooting order mid-match — a rare move that paid off as India took control of the second set.
Kumkum later revealed she had visualised the exact moment of hitting the final decisive 10 throughout the previous year. “I knew I was going to hit it. I knew we were going to be Asian Games champions,” she said.
The gold medal marks a significant breakthrough for Indian archery and underlines the growing depth of talent coming through the ranks. For a Korean programme that considers national team selection tougher than winning major titles, the defeat represented a rare and painful interruption of their long reign.