India's Dhiraj Bommadevara, Kumkum Mohod stun Olympic champions to clinch Archery World Cup gold
New Delhi, June 14
Indian archery has delivered another big moment on the world stage. Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara and 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod defeated Olympic champions Korea 5-1 in the recurve mixed team final at the Archery World Cup in Antalya to win gold.
This is the first Gold for India in the Recurve mixed category since 2022. The Indian pair were dominant throughout the tournament, beating Denmark (6-0), USA (6-2) and Germany (6-2), while conceding just four set points across their entire run to the title match, according to a press release.
Dhiraj's experience and Kumkum's fearless shooting proved to be a winning combination, with the teenager now securing back-to-back World Cup gold medals after also winning the women's team title in Shanghai earlier this season.
The result highlights the exciting depth emerging in Indian archery, with a new generation of stars consistently challenging the world's best.
As the sport continues to build momentum in the country, performances like these also add to the growing excitement around the upcoming Archery Premier League happening in Hyderabad (Oct 8-18), which aims to bring India's archery heroes closer to fans than ever before.
"Actually, this time it feels more special because it's the first time winning mixed team gold for me," said Bommadevara when comparing the feeling from today's gold to the first World Cup title he won in the recurve men's team event at Shanghai 2024.
"Usually it's not quite good for us, but the good thing is we didn't give up. The most important thing is we didn't think about who we were playing against; we were just focusing on ourselves," he added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Lovely to see such dominance! Conceding just four set points in the entire tournament is incredible. Dhiraj's experience and Kumkum's fearless approach - perfect combo. More power to Indian archers! 🏹✨
Great win but we need more consistency. One gold doesn't mean we've arrived, look at how Korea dominates year after year. Let's hope this isn't just a flash in the pan and we build on this momentum. The Archery Premier League sounds promising though.
Kumkum Mohod is just 17 and already has back-to-back World Cup golds! This girl is going to be a superstar. So proud of our young athletes who are putting India on the world map. Also excited about the Archery Premier League in Hyderabad - finally our archers get a platform! 🏹💪
This is what happens when you focus on the process and not the opponent. Dhiraj's quote says it all - 'we were just focusing on ourselves'. That's the Indian spirit! Well done team, you've made us all proud. 👏
Finally some good news! With all the negativity around, this is truly heartwarming. Beating Olympic champions Korea is no joke. Hope the government and sponsors support these athletes more. Also, Kumkum at 17 - she's going to be the next Deepika Kumari for sure! 🌟
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