Antalya, June 14: Indian recurve archers Dheeraj Bommadevara and Kumkum Mohod delivered an impressive performance, clinching the gold medal in the mixed team event at Stage 3 of the Archery World Cup held in Antalya. They triumphed over the Olympic champions from South Korea, defeating Kim Je-Daek and Oh Ye-Jin with a score of 5-1 (37-36, 37-36, 39-39).
The 24-year-old Dheeraj and 17-year-old Kumkum maintained their composure throughout the match. Dheeraj, ranked 16th globally, finished the contest with a perfect score of 10 on his final arrow.
Each archer scored three 10s, with Kumkum adding three 9s and Dheeraj contributing two 9s and one 8, showcasing their teamwork. This victory marks their first World Cup mixed team gold medal.
Previously, Dheeraj had won bronze medals in mixed team events alongside Ankita Bhakt in 2024 and Bhajan Kaur in 2025. Their win over South Korea fulfilled his long-awaited quest for a gold medal in the World Cup. Kumkum, on the other hand, secured her second consecutive World Cup gold, having been part of the Indian women’s recurve team that triumphed in Shanghai last month, where she scored the final arrow in a shoot-off against China.
In the Shanghai World Cup, the women’s team, consisting of Deepika Kumari, Kumkum, and Ankita Bhakt, defeated the 10-time Olympic champions from South Korea in the semifinals to claim gold.
During the final, the Indian duo applied early pressure, with Kim scoring 7 and Oh scoring 9, leaving Korea with only 16 points from their first two arrows. Kumkum responded with a 9, and Dheeraj followed with an 8, giving India a slight lead in the opening set.
The Korean team rebounded with Kim scoring 10 and Oh 9, finishing with a total of 35. Kumkum scored 9, and Dheeraj scored 10, resulting in a provisional score of 36. After a review, Kumkum’s score was upgraded from 9 to 10, while Kim’s first arrow was downgraded to 8, allowing India to win the set 37-36 and take a 2-0 lead.
Korea struggled at the start of the second set, scoring two 9s. India matched them with two 9s, leading to a tie at 18-18 before the final arrows. Kim and Oh scored another 9 each, totaling 36.
Kumkum then scored a crucial 9, putting Dheeraj in a position to secure the set with a 10. The army archer delivered, winning the set 37-36 and extending India’s lead to 4-0.
With just one shot needed for gold, the less experienced Indian team faced stiff competition from the Korean team in the third set. Kim and Oh started strong with two 10s, while Kumkum scored 10 and Dheeraj scored 9, leaving India one point behind at the mid-set break.
Kim added another 10, but Oh only managed one point, bringing Korea’s score to 39. After their first two arrows, India had 29 and needed flawless shots in their last two attempts. Kumkum responded under pressure with a 10, and Dheeraj’s initially scored 9 was reviewed and upgraded to 10. This resulted in a tie at 39-39, sealing the match with a final score of 5-1.
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