Indian Archers Shine at Asian Games 2026: Kumkum Makes History

Men's Recurve Semifinals

On Saturday, Indian archer Dhiraj Bommadevara secured a spot in the bronze medal match of the men's recurve archery event at the Asian Games taking place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Unfortunately, he was defeated by South Korea's Lee Wooseok with a score of 7-3 in the semifinal. Lee showcased exceptional skill, scoring three perfect 10s to clinch the final set and advance to the championship, as reported by Olympics.com.

In another semifinal, Neeraj also reached the bronze medal match but lost to Junya Nakanishi with a score of 1-7.

Historic Gold for Teenager Kumkum

In a remarkable achievement, 17-year-old Indian archer Kumkum made history at the Asian Games 2026 by winning India's first individual women's recurve gold medal. She triumphed over South Korea's Oh Yejin in a thrilling shoot-off, finishing with a score of 6-5 after the match was tied at 5-5 following five sets. The gold medal was decided by a single arrow, where Oh scored an 8, while Kumkum maintained her composure to hit a perfect 10, according to ESPN.

Kumkum's victory marks her as the first Indian woman to earn a medal in the individual recurve event at the Asian Games, and she further distinguished herself by securing the gold.

How the Dramatic Final Unfolded

The final match commenced with Oh taking the first set 29-27, giving her a 2-0 lead. The second set ended in a tie at 29-29, allowing the Korean archer to maintain a 3-1 advantage.

Kumkum responded impressively in the third set, scoring three consecutive 10s for a perfect 30, while Oh managed 29, leveling the match at 3-3. However, Oh regained the lead by winning the fourth set 28-27.

Facing a potential elimination in the fifth set, Kumkum rose to the occasion, shooting three 10s for a total of 30, while Oh scored 28, resulting in a shoot-off at 5-5.

In the decisive shoot-off, Kumkum delivered a perfect arrow, hitting the 10-ring after Oh could only manage an 8.

Kumkum's Remarkable Medal Haul

This gold medal capped off an extraordinary campaign for Kumkum, who had previously won the women's recurve team gold and mixed team silver on Friday.

She collaborated with Ankita Bhakat and Kirti Sharma to defeat South Korea 5-3 in the women's recurve team final, marking India's first-ever medal in this event at the Asian Games.

Later, she teamed up with Dhiraj Bommadevara to secure silver in the mixed recurve team event, despite India losing 3-5 to China.