India celebrated a historic day at the Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka as B. Dhiraj and Ankita Bhakat clinched their maiden individual titles, while the men’s team stunned Korea in a dramatic shoot-off.
Dhiraj defeated compatriot Rahul 6-2 in the men’s recurve final, earning his first continental crown. Ankita, meanwhile, shocked Korea’s Paris Olympic medallist Nam Suhyeon 7-3 to become the first Indian woman to win the individual recurve title. Their victories marked a milestone for Indian archery, showcasing the rise of new champions.
Earlier, the trio of Yashdeep Bhoge, Atanu Das, and Rahul scripted a thrilling 5-4 win over Korea’s Seo Mingi, Kim Ye-chan, and Jang Jiho in the men’s team final. The contest swung dramatically as the first two sets ended 56-56, before Korea took a 4-2 lead in the third. India responded strongly in the fourth, capitalising on Korea’s errant arrows to level the match. In the shoot-off, both teams scored 29, but India prevailed with the closest arrow to the centre.
In the mixed team event, India finished fourth after losing to Korea’s Jang Minhee and Seo Mingi in straight sets. Despite the setback, India’s overall performance remained dominant.
India and Korea finished with 10 medals each, but India topped the standings with six golds compared to Korea’s two. The Indian contingent secured five medals apiece in recurve and compound, underlining their balanced strength across formats.
The results confirmed India’s growing stature in Asian archery, with Dhiraj and Ankita’s triumphs inspiring confidence ahead of future global competitions.
