India's Archers Shine at Asian Games 2026: A Call for Support

Celebrating Archery Success at the Asian Games

New Delhi, October 4: Arjun Munda, a prominent BJP leader and the President of the Archery Association of India (AAI), commended the remarkable achievements of Indian archers and their coaches at the 2026 Asian Games. He emphasized that the encouraging sports environment in the country has motivated athletes to gear up for the upcoming Olympics.

Munda advocated for increased backing for archery through initiatives like the Archery Premier League and called on the public to actively support Indian archers.

India's archery team excelled at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, securing five gold medals and nine podium finishes, marking a series of historic accomplishments. Young recurve talent Kumkum Mohod stood out as a key player, while the team also achieved significant victories in compound events.

“It’s a proud moment for us. Our archers and coaches have done an incredible job in bringing home medals; their achievements deserve all the accolades. The positive sporting atmosphere fostered by our Prime Minister has been instrumental. Our athletes are already focusing on the next Olympics, inspired by this competition. We must keep pushing to promote archery through the Archery Premier League and encourage the nation to rally behind our athletes, who represent us on the global stage,” Munda stated.

Sonam Tshering Bhutia, the recurve archery coach, praised the historic achievements of the Indian team, particularly noting the women's team’s first-ever gold medal at the Asian Games and their record-setting qualification performance.

He expressed pride in the team’s ability to break South Korea's long-standing dominance in archery, securing two gold medals, and conveyed optimism about their chances at the LA28 Olympics.

“We’ve made history; the women’s team clinched gold for the first time, and we set an Asian Games record during the qualification round. Additionally, we won silver in the mixed team event with Dheeraj and Kumkum. Overcoming Korea’s dominance to win two gold medals is a monumental achievement. We are now Asian Games champions, and our women’s team has made us proud. We are also set to qualify for LA28, where we will proudly display our tricolor,” Bhutia remarked.

Indian archers achieved an impressive tally of nine medals across ten events—five gold, two silver, and two bronze—matching their record from the 2023 Hangzhou Games, solidifying archery as India’s most successful sport in terms of gold medals at the Games.