Indian women’s recurve team stuns South Korea to win maiden Asian Games gold

• India’s women’s recurve team beats 10-time Olympic champions South Korea 5-3 to win its maiden Asian Games gold

• Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod deliver a composed performance in windy conditions after defeating China in the semifinal

• Kumkum Mohod and Dhiraj Bommadevara also enter the mixed recurve final after beating Japan 5-3

India’s women’s recurve team produced a stunning performance under pressure to defeat 10-time Olympic champions South Korea 5-3 and clinch its maiden Asian Games gold medal on Friday.

Seasoned archer Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod held their nerve in challenging windy conditions to overcome the defending champions and script a historic triumph for Indian archery.

The two teams traded the opening two sets, with both finishing level at 54 and 56 points respectively. Neither side was able to establish an early advantage before Korea faltered in the third set.

The South Korean trio of Kang Chaeyoung, a member of the Tokyo Olympics gold medal-winning team, Oh Yejin and Lee Yunji dropped three consecutive 8s to finish the third set with 52 points. India capitalised on the opening, shooting 55 to take the set and move 4-2 ahead.

Korea responded under pressure in the fourth set, scoring 54 points. India also finished with 54 after Kirti's opening 8 was upgraded to a 9 following a review. With the scores tied, India secured the set and completed a landmark victory over the formidable South Korean side.

India had earlier defeated China 5-1 in the semifinal to book a place in the final, marking the team's first Asian Games final appearance in the event.

The gold capped a remarkable rise for the Indian women's recurve team, which ended a five-year wait for a World Cup gold in Shanghai in May. The Indian team had defeated Korea in the semifinals there before going on to win the title.

The Shanghai-winning combination was largely retained for the Asian Games, with Kirti replacing former world No. 1 Deepika Kumari, who did not qualify for the Games through the selection trials.

The triumph marked India's fourth archery gold medal at the Asian Games, following titles in the men's compound, women's compound and mixed compound team events.

The Indian women's recurve team had won a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Kumkum-Dhiraj reach mixed recurve final

The celebrations continued as Kumkum joined Dhiraj Bommadevara to reach the mixed recurve final, with the Indian pair defeating Japan 5-3.

India made a slow start, losing the opening set 37-38, before sharing the second set to leave the contest level at 3-3. The Indian duo then found their rhythm and capitalised on a costly 7 from Japan in the fourth set to win it 37-35 and seal India's first-ever Asian Games final berth in the recurve mixed team event.

The result gave India another opportunity to add to its growing medal tally in archery, with Kumkum and Dhiraj now set to compete for gold in the mixed recurve event.

With PTI inputs