Sports
oi-Swastika Sruti
Just 17 years old, Kumkum Mohod, who hails from Amravati, has made history for herself by winning a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in archery, becoming the first Indian woman to clinch the gold in the individual recurve event of the continental games.
At the 2026 Asian Games, 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod from Amravati won the individual recurve archery gold, becoming the first Indian woman to do so after defeating South Korea’s Yejin Oh in a shoot-off and securing an Olympic quota for India.
Kumkum’s gold medal came through a nail-biting final match against Yejin Oh from South Korea, where the match went down to the very last arrow. Both shooters were locked 5-5 in the tiebreakers, after the five set match, and then in the decisive shoot-out, Yejin scored 8 while Kumkum scored a full 10 to clinch the gold medal for India.
For Kumkum, this was another success in her impressive show at the Asian Games. Apart from this individual gold medal, she has also won gold in the women’s recurve team and a silver medal in the mixed recurve team.
Kumkum Mohod’s Road To Asian Games Gold
Kumkum’s run to the individual gold included victories against some of the strongest archers in the competition.
A HISTORIC FIRST FOR INDIAN ARCHERY! 🎯🥇🇮🇳
Congratulations to Kumkum Anil Mohod on winning Indias first-ever GOLD in the Recurve Women’s Individual event at #AsianGames2026!
This phenomenal triumph also secures a direct ticket to the LA 2028 Olympics. #Cheer4Bharat pic.twitter.com/TVzt8TKeOU
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) October 3, 2026
In the quarterfinal, she defeated South Korea’s Chaeyoung Kang 6-4. She then produced another strong performance in the semifinal, beating China’s Zhu Jingyi 6-2 to book her place in the gold-medal match.
The final against Yejin Oh was much closer. Neither archer was able to establish a clear advantage, and the match eventually reached a 5-5 tie.
That meant the gold medal had to be decided through a shoot-off.
The Korean archer’s arrow landed on eight. Kumkum then held her nerve and struck 10. That single arrow gave the 17-year-old the Asian Games gold and a place in Indian archery history.
The result also secured an Olympic quota for India for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Who Is Kumkum Mohod?
Kumkum Mohod comes from Amravati, Maharashtra, and was introduced to archery while she was still in school.
Her journey began in 2018, when her mother, Rupali, noticed a relative’s daughter practising at the Radhey Archery Academy in Amravati. The academy is run by coach Prafull Dange.
Rupali encouraged Kumkum to give archery a try. What started as an introduction to a new sport soon developed into a serious pursuit.
Kumkum initially trained with a basic Indian wooden bow that cost around ₹3,000. The money for the bow came from her grandmother.
Her progress was quick. Within about six months of starting archery, she won a silver medal at the sub-junior national level.
That early result convinced her family and coach that she had the potential to go much further.
From A ₹3,000 Bow To The Asian Games Podium
Kumkum’s journey has not been built around expensive equipment or elite facilities from the beginning.
For years, she continued training and competing with a second-hand bow. Financial constraints meant that even travelling to the academy could become difficult for her family.
Her father, Anil Manohar Mohod, makes cardboard boxes for sweet shops in Amravati. As Kumkum’s training became more demanding, the cost of travelling to the academy became another challenge.
Her father eventually began taking her to practice on his motorcycle because regularly paying for shared-auto rides was difficult for the family.
These challenges did not stop Kumkum from continuing her training.
Family Savings Helped Buy Her Recurve Bow
As Kumkum progressed, she needed better equipment to compete at a higher level.
Her family eventually used savings built up over several years to buy her a more advanced recurve bow costing around ₹1.87 lakh. Her coach Prafull Dange also supported her during this phase of her development.
For a family with limited financial resources, the purchase was a major commitment.
But Kumkum’s performances continued to justify the investment.
Her coach has described her biggest strength as her intense desire to keep improving. That determination has now translated into three medals at the Asian Games, including a historic individual gold.
A Historic Gold At Just 17
Kumkum’s Asian Games campaign is significant not only because of the gold medal but also because of how quickly she has risen through the sport.
At 17, she has already won medals in all three recurve events she competed in at the 2026 Asian Games – team gold, mixed team silver and individual gold.
Her individual victory is particularly historic, as she became the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold at the Asian Games.
From starting with a ₹3,000 wooden bow in Amravati to standing on the Asian Games podium with a gold medal, Kumkum Mohod’s journey is a story of persistence, family sacrifice and ambition.
