India’s archery campaign at the 2026 Asian Games received another boost as Kumkum Mohod and Dhiraj Bommadevara secured the silver medal in the recurve mixed team event. The Indian duo put up a determined performance in the final but narrowly missed the gold, losing 5-3 to China’s Jingyi Zhu and Mengqi Li in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday.
The result added another medal to India’s growing archery tally at the Games. Although the pair could not finish on top of the podium, their journey to the final featured a remarkable comeback against Japan and demonstrated their ability to compete under pressure. <Cite refs={["turn408963search0","turn408963search4"]}/>
A Strong Comeback Against Japan in the Semifinal
The Indian pair faced Japan’s Nanami Asakuno and Junya Nakanishi in the semifinal. India initially fell behind after losing the opening set 38-37. The second set ended level at 36-36, leaving the Japanese team with a 3-1 advantage.
With their place in the final at stake, Mohod and Bommadevara responded strongly. They produced 39 points in the third set, while Japan managed 35, bringing the match level at 3-3.
The fourth set proved decisive. India scored 37 points, while Japan finished with 35 after a crucial final arrow from Nakanishi. The 5-3 victory sent the Indian combination into the gold-medal match. <Cite refs={["turn408963search0"]}/>
China Takes Gold After a Closely Fought Final
The final against China began with the Indian archers facing an early challenge. Zhu and Li produced 38 points in the opening set, while India managed 34. China continued its advantage in the second set, scoring 37 against India’s 35 and moving ahead 4-0.
With China just one set away from victory, the Indian duo needed a strong response. Mohod and Bommadevara delivered 37 points in the third set, edging China by one point to stay in contention.
The fourth set was equally competitive. India again scored 37, but China matched the total. The tied set gave China the point needed to secure the match, leaving India with silver after a 5-3 result. <Cite refs={["turn408963search0","turn408963search4"]}/>
A Landmark Day for Indian Recurve Archery
The mixed team silver came on a significant day for Indian archery. Earlier, India’s women’s recurve team—Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod—defeated South Korea 5-3 to win the country’s first Asian Games gold medal in the women’s recurve team event.
The victory was particularly notable because South Korea has a long record of success in international archery. India’s women held their nerve in challenging windy conditions to secure the historic result. <Cite refs={["turn408963search2","turn408963search3"]}/>
What the Results Mean for India
The performances in Aichi-Nagoya underline the progress of Indian archery across both team categories. The mixed team’s silver followed a difficult semifinal and a competitive final, while the women’s team gold marked a major milestone for the discipline.
For Mohod, the day was especially memorable, as she featured in both the women’s team triumph and the mixed team silver. The results give Indian archery supporters plenty to celebrate and add to the country’s medal campaign at the 2026 Asian Games.
