From ending South Korea’s rule to booking quota for LA 2028 Olympics: Indian archers return from Asian Games with a bigger aim

India’s Kumkum gold medalist Anil Mohod, Ankita Bhakat and Kirti celebrate on stage during the victory ceremony. (Photo by Reuters) NEW DELHI: Indian archers returned home from the Asian Games with more than a record haul of medals to celebrate. They returned with history rewritten, Olympic qualification secured and the belief that the gap between the world’s best was closing fast.The Indian contingent bagged five gold, two silver and two bronze medals in Aichi-Nagoya, with both the compound and recurve squads putting up a landmark performance. The combined mixed team of Sahil Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthu secured a place in the Olympic quota, while the women’s recurve team ended South Korea’s long-running dominance by beating the 10-time Olympic champions 5-3 in the final.For the group that had questions before the games, the answer was emphatic. Team India coach Dave Cousins ​​believes the performance should put those doubts to rest.

“We’ve established exactly what they’re made of”

Cousins ​​said the coaching group deliberately avoided predicting medals before the Games and instead focused on preparation and execution.“So early on they wanted us to predict how many medals we could win. The only commitment we were willing to make was that our athletes would go prepared and execute the process to the best of their ability,” Cousins ​​said.The results, he argued, were a reflection of a stronger support system around the archers.“When the training is right, the preparation is right and the ecosystem is right, these are the results you get. So we’re very happy with that. We’re exceptionally happy to get the first place ever for archery in the Olympics. That’s a huge thing for us right now,” he added.The success was particularly significant as much of the squad was relatively inexperienced on the biggest international stage.“You in the media and the worldwide archery community have had a lot of questions about our younger archers, the new team. I think we’ve shown exactly what they’re made of,” Cousins ​​said.Jadhav and Taniparthu were at the heart of this answer. Their mixed team gold not only brought another Asian Games title but also secured a place in India’s Olympic quota.

India’s gold medalists Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Rajesh Jadhav celebrate winning the mixed team final. (Photo by Reuters)

Jadhav said the final against Chinese Taipei was less about pressure and more about sticking to a plan rehearsed repeatedly in training.“It’s a fantastic feeling and to see this grand welcome makes us even more happy. There was no pressure as such as we had been practicing specifically for these situations,” Jadhav said. “It was all about execution and we delivered. Now I feel like all the hard work I’ve put in so far has really paid off.”Taniparthu said the win gave the young group another reason to work harder.“It’s such a good and happy feeling and it will motivate us to win more, work harder, then every time we succeed,” she said.The composite women’s team also underlined India’s growing strength by equaling the world record score during a 238-234 win over China. Taniparthu bagged this gold along with veteran Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Prithika Pradeep.Sahil was also part of the men’s team that won the gold medal, while Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru won the men’s team gold and individual bronze. Kushal Dalal was another member of the gold winning team.

Indian Kumkum Anil Mohod in action. (Photo by Reuters)

“We thought we’d do it and we did”

The Recurve contingent made their own piece of history.Kumkum Mohod emerged as one of India’s biggest individual stars, winning the women’s individual gold and helping the country secure the women’s team gold and mixed team silver. Her individual triumph also secured an Olympic quota for India.The 17-year-old said the result was more a result of collective preparation than individual effort.“What we thought would happen happened. It was the hard work of the team, all the motivation of the team and the support of Archery Association of India and SAI. That’s why everything happened,” she said.In the individual final against the South Korean Oh Yejin Kumkum, she consciously eliminated her opponent and concentrated on her own shooting.“I really enjoyed shooting in the final match. I followed my gut, just shot the arrows and didn’t look at who was ahead,” she said.Her breakthrough advice was just as simple.“Just stay disciplined and do your best. Don’t get carried away. Just keep doing the right thing,” she added.However, the women’s team’s victory over 10-time Olympic champions South Korea was probably of greatest historical significance. Kirti Sharma was part of the team that defeated the Koreans 5-3, ending their dominance in the tournament.“India’s first gold in this tournament. We beat Korea to win the gold, so it created history for us. I feel very good that I was a part of the team that created this history,” Sharma said.The magnitude of the challenge was not lost on the Indian team.“There was pressure because that team always took the gold, so there was pressure on us, but we thought we could do it and we did,” Sharma said.

India’s Kumkum Anil Mohod, Ankita Bhakat and Kirti celebrate winning the gold medal. (Photo by Reuters)

Bigger goal: LA 2028

The men’s recurve squad also contributed to India’s medal haul as Dhiraj Bommadevara won silver in the mixed team event with Kumkum and another silver in the men’s team event. Neeraj Chauhan claimed individual bronze and men’s team silver, while Yashdeep Bhoge was part of the men’s team that won silver.Bommadevara believes the support structure around Indian archery has changed dramatically.“Earlier there was hardly any support and I relied heavily on my family and friends. But if it wasn’t for this government, I wouldn’t be standing here today. Our prime minister, our sports minister and our administrative set-up have been so supportive,” he said.The pressure of the Asian Games, he added, was easier to handle because of the team’s environment.“The pressure is on everyone, but we were lucky to have a team where we could stay cool and calm,” he said.And other goals are already visible.“Next year we have the World Championships, where there are Olympic quotas, and after that the Olympics in LA,” he said.For Chauhan, the Asian Games was his first experience of a multi-sport event and the medal made the occasion even more meaningful.“Overall, the Asian Games experience was very good. It was my first Asian Games. I went into it with the hope that I have to bring home a medal for India and to bring home this medal has made me and my family very proud,” he said.Bhoge, when he made his debut, brought out the collective spirit that helped India through the crucial moments.“Obviously it was my debut, so there were moments of crisis, but everyone kept their morale. The team stayed together. Because the whole team stayed together, we were able to play well and hold on,” he said.The medals from the Asian Games therefore brought celebration, but also greater expectations. With Olympic quotas secured, South Korea’s dominance finally broken and a new generation of compound archers coming forward, India’s archery program now has a new benchmark.Aichi-Nagoya’s triumph was historic. The next goal is bigger — Los Angeles 2028.