Dhiraj, Kumkum Upset Olympic Champions South Korea to Win Archery World Cup Gold

Antalya: Indian recurve archers continued their impressive rise on the global stage as Dhiraj Bommadevara and teenage sensation Kumkum Mohod stunned Olympic champions South Korea to win the recurve mixed team gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 on Sunday.

The Indian pair defeated South Korea’s Kim Je-deok and Oh Ye-jin 5-1 (37-36, 37-36, 39-39) in a thrilling final, displaying remarkable composure and confidence against one of the most dominant teams in international archery.

Despite facing a Korean side featuring Olympic gold medallist Kim Je-deok, Dhiraj and the 17-year-old Kumkum showed no signs of nerves. The Indian duo matched their opponents shot for shot and delivered crucial arrows under pressure to secure a memorable victory.

Dhiraj, currently India’s highest-ranked recurve archer at world No. 16, capped off the contest with a perfect 10 on his final arrow. Both archers contributed equally to the triumph, with each recording three perfect 10s during the match. Kumkum also shot three 9s, while Dhiraj added two 9s and an 8.

The gold medal marked a significant milestone for both archers. It was Dhiraj’s first World Cup mixed team gold after previously winning bronze medals with Ankita Bhakat in 2024 and Bhajan Kaur in 2025. For Kumkum, it was her second consecutive World Cup gold medal after helping India’s women’s recurve team win gold in Shanghai last month.

In the final, India seized the early advantage after South Korea made an uncharacteristic start. Kumkum and Dhiraj capitalised on the opportunity to edge the opening set 37-36 and take a 2-0 lead.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with the scores tied before Dhiraj produced a perfect 10 with his final arrow to secure another 37-36 win and extend India’s lead to 4-0.

With gold within reach, the Indians faced a strong response from the Koreans in the third set. However, Kumkum held her nerve with a pressure-filled 10, while Dhiraj’s final arrow was upgraded from 9 to 10 after review. The set ended 39-39, giving India the point they needed to seal a memorable 5-1 victory and the gold medal.

The triumph further underlines India’s growing strength in recurve archery and adds another significant achievement to the country's recent success on the international circuit.

With inputs from IANS