Once rejected for physicality, Kirti Sharma silences critics with historic archery gold

Kirti Sharma has been rumored for years that her body is not strong enough for archery. The girl from Ritauli village in Haryana was considered too thin to pull the bowstring and there were people who questioned whether she should even take up the sport. On Friday, the 19-year-old gave the loudest answer possible, helping India win a historic women’s team recurve gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

Kirti, Ankita Bhakat and Kumkum Mohod defeated South Korea 5-3 in a thrilling final at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park. India has never won the women’s recurve team gold at the Asian Games and has never made it to the finals of the event before. The victory also ended South Korea’s 28-year reignwith Korean women winning all the women’s team recurve titles since 1998.

“I suffered from poor health since childhood. I had to listen to a lot of negative comments from various quarters that doubted my ability to excel in archery. As I was not in good physical shape, it was difficult for me to lift bows with heavy strikes at first. But I was determined to do whatever it took to prove my critics wrong,” Kirti told SAI Media from Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

“My father is a farmer. But he always supported me and took care of all expenses related to my sports career despite financial constraints,” said Kirti.

“Many people told my father that he shouldn’t let me play sports because I was a girl. They also expressed doubts about my ability to succeed because of my poor health. But my father always believed in me.”

These words capture the battle Kirti fought long before she stood on the Asian Games podium.

REJECTED, THEN GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE

Kirti Sharma was once considered too physically weak to handle the competition bow. Courtesy: Reuters

Kirti’s introduction to archery came when coach Uddham Singh visited her area near Jind to scout young talent. But the first impression was not positive. She was too thin and lacked the strength needed to handle a competition bow.

According to her father Vijay Sharma, Kirti had a very limited diet as a child and sometimes survived on just a glass of milk for the day. Singh initially decided she needed more time before she could embrace the demands of archery.

But Kirti didn’t give up.

When the coaches returned in 2019, she got a second chance. She began training seriously, building up the strength and stability needed to shoot a recurve bow for years. Her transformation was not only technical. It involved changing the diet, developing shoulder strength and adapting the body to the demands of the sport.

The family also sacrificed. Vijay, who owns around three acres of land, took a loan of Rs 60,000 from a local commission agent in 2022 to buy a bow for his daughter.

It was a significant investment for the farmer’s family. But Vijay believed his daughter while others did not.

HAZARIBAGH CHANGED EVERYTHING

Kirti’s next big break came when she moved to the Sports Authority of India center in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The distance from her village was daunting, but the move brought her into a more structured, high-performance environment.

The star archer, who trains at SAI’s training center in Hazaribagh, said SAI and her coach Uddham Singh deserve all the credit for paving the way for Asian Games glory.

“My family and my coach have always supported me and made me believe that I can do wonders. In fact, I appeared for the exams at SAI in Hazaribagh only because my coach Uddham Singh was transferred there. In fact, during the initial years, I trained in the academy set up by Uddham sir,” said Kirti.

“Four years ago I went to SAI, Hazaribagh. Since then my career has improved by leaps and bounds. SAI and Uddham Singh sir are responsible for everything I have achieved.”

The work behind this improvement was considerable. Singh said Kirti initially needed extensive work on her bow-arm strength, stability and body alignment. In Hazaribagh, the team also worked with nutritionists to help her develop the shoulder muscle strength needed for elite archery.

A girl who was once considered too physically fragile has slowly become an international level archer.

STATE HIGHLY AGAINST KOREA

Kirti Sharma stepped up against the odds in her Asian Games gold medal match against Korea. Courtesy: SAI Media

By the time Kirti arrived in Aichi-Nagoya, she was no longer the girl who was judged for what she couldn’t do. She was part of an Indian team capable of taking on the biggest force in Asia’s return archery.

And the finale was just as tense as expected.

South Korea and India tied the opening two sets and the match remained 2-2. India then produced a decisive 55 points in the third set to take a 4-2 lead. In the final set, the Koreans increased the pressure, but India held their nerve. Kirti’s first arrow was reviewed after the final sequence, with the officials determining that it scored a 9 rather than an 8. This gave India the point they needed to win 5–3.

It was India’s first ever Asian Games gold in the women’s team event.

And this was especially significant for Kirti, whose journey began with people asking if she was physically capable of holding a bow.

South Korea has won seven consecutive Asian Games titles since 1998. India has never even reached the final. Still, Kirti, Ankita and Kumkum entered the competition undaunted by history.

So Kirti’s gold is more than just a medal. It’s the culmination of a journey from a Haryana village to one of the biggest sporting scenes in Asia – from being rejected for her physicality to helping India break the biggest wall in women’s archery.

Critics questioned whether it belonged.

Kirti replied with gold.

– The end