India Men's Recurve Team Clinches Silver at Asian Games
India's men's recurve team secures silver at the Asian Games 2026 after a hard-fought final against South Korea in Aichi-Nagoya.
The Indian men's recurve team secured a silver medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, following a competitive final against South Korea on Friday. Despite a valiant effort, the Indian trio was unable to overcome the consistency of the South Korean side, which ultimately took the gold.
A Hard-Fought Battle Against South Korea
The final was a high-stakes encounter that saw both teams showcase incredible skill. In the opening set, the match remained neck-and-neck, with both sides finishing on 56 points after a closely contested first rotation. India had briefly held a two-point lead, but the set ended in a stalemate.
However, South Korea began to assert their dominance in the second set. The Korean team produced a perfect 30 in their opening rotation, leaving the Indian team struggling to keep pace. While Neeraj Chauhan, Yashdeep Sanjay Bhoge, and Dhiraj Bommadevara managed scores of 9, 8, and 8 respectively, India finished the set with 50 points compared to South Korea's 57. This gave the Koreans a 3-1 lead.
India fought back to stay in the game during the third set, leveling at 28-28 after the first rotation. A 7 from Neeraj in the second rotation was followed by a 9 from Yashdeep and a 10 from Dhiraj, bringing India's total to 54. South Korea, requiring only 27 points to secure the victory, remained composed, scoring 10, 9, and 9 to finish on 56 and claim the gold medal.
A Landmark Day for Indian Archery
The men's silver medal was part of a historic day for Indian archery at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Earlier in the day, the women's recurve team—comprising Kumkum Anil Mohod, Ankita Bhakat, and Kirti Sharma—achieved a historic milestone by defeating South Korea 5-3 to win India's first-ever medal in the women's recurve team event at the Asian Games.
The day's success for the archers also included a silver medal in the mixed recurve team event, where Kumkum and Dhiraj lost 3-5 to China in the final. The men's team had entered this gold medal clash after a dominant 6-0 semifinal victory over Iran.
India's Growing Medal Tally
This silver medal marks India's 71st medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, bringing the national tally to 12 gold, 25 silver, and 34 bronze medals. India currently sits sixth in the overall medal standings.
Other notable performances on Friday included:
- Lovlina Borgohain: Gold in the women's 75kg boxing event.
- Nethra Kumanan: Bronze in the women's dinghy sailing event.
- Sujeet Kalkal: Advanced to the men's freestyle 65kg gold medal bout after defeating Japan's Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka.