Asian Games 2026: Ganesh misses final, loses to Kim Jongho in men's compound individual archery semifinal
Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru loses to South Korea's Kim Jongho in the men's compound individual archery semifinal at the Asian Games 2026.
Asian Games 2026: Ganesh misses final, loses to Kim Jongho in men's compound individual archery semifinal
Indian archer Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru missed out on a place in the men's compound individual archery final at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. In a high-stakes semifinal clash on Thursday, Ganesh fell short against South Korea's Kim Jongho, losing 144-148. Despite the setback, Ganesh will now pivot his focus toward the bronze medal match to end his individual campaign on a podium finish.
A High-Octane Battle in Aichi-Nagoya
The semifinal was a display of precision and intense pressure between the two competitors. Kim Jongho set an aggressive tone from the very beginning, delivering a perfect 30/30 in the opening end. Ganesh, while performing strongly, managed a score of 29, finishing the end with a 9. This early momentum gave the Korean archer a slight edge.
As the contest progressed through the second and third ends, the intensity escalated:
- Second End: Both archers maintained high scores, but Kim extended his lead to 60-58.
- Third End: Ganesh mounted a significant comeback, finishing the end with a 10 to score 29/30, reducing the deficit to just one point. Kim scored 28/30, leaving him with an 88-87 lead.
The Decisive Turning Point
The match reached a critical juncture in the fourth end. Ganesh started strong with a 10, but a subsequent 9 allowed Kim to reclaim a two-point advantage. The South Korean archer then showed immense composure, delivering a flawless 30/30 end to take a 118-116 lead with only three shots remaining in the match.
Entering the final end, Ganesh faced a steep uphill battle. Two consecutive 9s left him unable to bridge the gap, resulting in the 144-148 defeat. While the gold medal remains out of reach, Ganesh's performance ensures he remains in contention for a medal in the upcoming bronze medal bout.
Mixed Fortunes for Team India
Thursday proved to be a day of diverse results for the Indian contingent across multiple disciplines at the Asian Games 2026:
Medal Successes and Near Misses
- Sailing: Manu Francis and Prince Kurusinkal secured a silver medal in the men's skiff event.
- Squash: The women's team claimed bronze after a hard-fought 1-2 loss to Hong Kong in the semifinals.
- Wrestling: Nitesh advanced to the final after defeating Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar in the men's Greco-Roman 97kg semifinal. However, Mansi lost 0-6 to Japan's Nonoka Ozaki, moving her to the bronze medal match.
- Sepaktakraw: India confirmed a medal in the men's quadrant after a decisive 2-0 victory over Vietnam.
Other Notable Performances
In shooting, Anish Bhanwala finished ninth in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol qualification and has advanced to the final. In tennis, Sumit Nagal exited the men's singles quarterfinal following a straight-sets loss to China's Wu Yibing. In golf, Pranavi Sharath Urs finished second after Round 2 of the women's individual stroke play.
Other results included losses for Chikitha Taniparthi in women's compound archery, Shikha Chaouhan in canoe slalom, and the Indian men's rugby sevens team, who will next face China after a 7-33 loss to Hong Kong.