The biggest story from the Asian Games came from teenager Kumkum Mohod. She won gold in the women’s individual recurve archery event. In the final, she faced South Korea’s Oh Yejin. The match ended 5-5 and went to a shoot-off. Kumkum shot a perfect 10. Oh managed only an 8. That gave Kumkum the win. She became the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in this event. Earlier, in the semi-final, she beat China’s Jingyi Zhu 6-2. That win also secured a quota spot for India at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The Indian women’s recurve team also made history. Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma, and Kumkum Mohod defeated South Korea 5-3 in the final. It was India’s first-ever Asian Games gold in the women’s recurve team event. In the mixed recurve team event, Kumkum and Dhiraj Bommadevara won silver. They lost 3-5 to China in a close final.
In wrestling, Sujeet Kalkal won gold in the men’s 65kg freestyle category. The 23-year-old was trailing 4-9 in the final. But he fought back to beat Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9. With this win, Sujeet became the third Indian wrestler to win Asian Games gold in this weight class. The other two are Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia.
Boxing brought more golds for India. Parveen Hooda won the women’s 65kg title. She beat Chinese Taipei’s Nien-Chin Chen 3-2 in a split decision. Ankush Panghal won the men’s 80kg gold. He defeated South Korea’s Kim Minseong 4-0 in a split decision. Lovlina Borgohain also won gold in the 75kg category. She beat China’s Bao Ziyi by a unanimous 5-0 decision. It was India’s second gold in women’s boxing at the Asian Games. Mary Kom had won the first in 2014.
In hockey, the Indian women’s team won gold. They beat defending champions China 1-0 in the final. Lalremsiami Hmarzote scored the only goal of the match. Goalkeeper Savita Punia made a crucial save from a penalty stroke to protect the lead. This was India’s first women’s hockey gold at the Asian Games in 44 years. The team also secured a direct spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The men’s hockey team will play Malaysia in their final. They are also aiming for gold and an Olympic quota.
In other events, India won bronze in the men’s quadrant event in sepaktakraw. They lost 0-2 to Japan in the semi-final. Nethra Kumanan won bronze in the women’s dinghy sailing event. She finished third with 14 points.
Kumkum Mohod: From a Wooden Bow to Asian Games Gold
Kumkum Anil Mohod is 17 years old. She comes from Gosavi Colony in Amravati, Maharashtra. She has become the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve archery medal at the Asian Games. She did it by winning gold.
Her family background is humble. Her father, Anil Manohar Mohod, makes cardboard boxes for sweet shops. Her mother, Rupali, first encouraged her to try archery. It was her grandmother who gave her the money for her first bow. That bow was made of wood and cost about ₹3,000.
Kumkum started archery in 2018. Just six months later, she won silver at the sub-junior nationals. That was an early sign of her talent.
There was no big academy or costly equipment at the start. Her coach, Prafull Dange, trained her with whatever they could manage. When Covid stopped normal training, they did short-distance shooting drills. This helped build her strength and improve her technique. Even some of her later wins came with modest gear. The bow she used to win team gold at the World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai was second-hand. It was already five years old.
As her career grew, so did the costs. Travel, equipment, and tournament fees added up. The family income could not always cover everything. Her father found a way. When they could not afford an auto, he took her to competitions on his two-wheeler. Her mother kept encouraging her. Her coach kept supporting her.
At the Asian Games, Kumkum beat Olympic and world champion Kang Chaeyoung in the quarter-final. In the semi-final, she beat a world championship silver medallist. In the final, she faced South Korea’s Oh Yejin. The match was tied 5-5 after five sets. Kumkum stayed calm and shot a perfect 10. That one arrow gave her the gold.
FAQs
Q. Who won the women’s individual recurve gold for India?
A. Kumkum Mohod won the gold medal.
Q. How did Kumkum Mohod win the recurve final?
A. She beat Oh Yejin in a shoot-off after a 5-5 draw.
Q. Who won gold in the men’s 65kg wrestling event?
A. Sujeet Kalkal won the gold medal.
Q. Who scored the winning goal for India in women’s hockey?
A. Lalremsiami Hmarzote scored the only goal.
Q. Who won gold in the women’s 75kg boxing event?
A. Lovlina Borgohain won the gold medal.
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