India Stun 10-Time Olympic Champions South Korea To Storm Into Archery World Cup Final

Last Updated:May 07, 2026, 12:02 IST

India women's recurve team beat South Korea to reach Archery World Cup Stage 2 final where they will face China.

In contrasting results, the Indian women’s recurve team secured the country’s first medal of the the Archery World Cup Stage 2 with a stunning semifinal win over record 10-time Olympic champions South Korea on Thursday. However, the men’s team suffered a disappointing first-round exit against Bangladesh.

The women’s trio of veteran Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and teenager Kumkum Mohod produced a composed performance to defeat a reshuffled Korean side 5-1 in the semifinals, setting up a gold-medal clash against second-seeded China to be played on Sunday.

In stark contrast, the men’s recurve team of seasoned archer Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Yashdeep Bhoge endured a difficult outing, failing to win a single set in a 2-6 loss to Bangladesh.

The Indian women, however, maintained consistency throughout a demanding schedule, winning three consecutive matches on the day.

In the semifinal, the fourth-seeded Indian team made a strong start, landing four 10s from six arrows to take the opening set 58-55. The Korean side, lacking its usual strength, appeared unsettled early on.

India held firm in the second set despite an 8, tying it 56-56 to extend their advantage to 3-1. Needing just two more points to close out the match, the Indian trio stepped up again in the third set, repeating a score of 58. Korea faltered under pressure, managing 56, as India sealed a straight-sets win.

However, the result came against a relatively inexperienced Korean squad, fielded as part of their preparations for the Asian Games in Japan later this year. The lineup included debutants Lee Yunji and Oh Yejin, with reigning world champion Kang Chaeyoung as the only established name. Notably absent were Olympic champions An San and Lim Sihyeon, along with Shanghai World Cup gold medallist Lee Gahyun.

Earlier in the day, the Indian women archers had recovered from a sluggish start to defeat Uzbekistan 6-2 in the opening round (53-56, 57-54, 55-54, 55-51).

Their toughest challenge came in the quarterfinal against Vietnam, where they prevailed 5-4 in a tense shoot-off. India began poorly with a 53 in the opening set, allowing Vietnam to take the lead. They responded strongly to level the contest 2-2 after Vietnam dropped points in the second set.

The third set saw India take control, moving ahead 4-2 by conceding just two points. However, a narrow 55-56 loss in the fourth set forced a shoot-off. Under pressure, India held their nerve, producing a composed 28-25 effort to clinch the tie.

In contrast, the men’s team delivered a below-par performance against Bangladesh. Despite entering the tournament as the eighth seed, the Indian trio struggled for rhythm and failed to win a set across four rounds.

They opened with a 52 in the first set, hampered by three 8s, while Bangladesh posted 55 to take a 2-0 lead. India failed to recover in the second set, managing only a tie at 54-54 after another inconsistent round.

The third set offered little improvement as both sides again finished level at 53. Bangladesh, however, raised their level when it mattered most, with Abdur Rahman Alif, Ram Krishna Saha and Mohammed Mishad Prodhan producing a composed final set of 57 to India’s 53 to seal the match.

The mixed team elimination round is scheduled to begin in the afternoon session.

With PTI Inputs

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