Dhiraj Bommadevara and Kumkum Mohod produced one of Indian archery's finest moments on Sunday, upsetting Olympic champions South Korea to claim the recurve mixed team gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Antalya, Turkey. The Indian pair defeated Kim Je-deok and Oh Ye-jin 5-1 (37-36, 37-36, 39-39) in a final that underscored India's growing confidence on the world archery circuit.

A Final for the Ages

The Indians applied immediate pressure after Kim opened with a seven — a rare lapse for the Korean ace — and Oh followed with a nine, leaving South Korea with just 16 from their first two arrows of the opening set. Kumkum answered with a nine and Dhiraj with an eight, giving India a one-point lead at the midway mark.

Korea recovered to post 35 in the first set, but a review upgraded Kumkum's nine to a 10 while Kim's first arrow was downgraded to an eight. India took the set 37-36, going 2-0 up.

In the second set, both teams traded nines to stay level at 18 apiece before the final arrows. Kim and Oh combined for 36; Kumkum hit a nine and Dhiraj sealed the set with a perfect 10, giving India a commanding 4-0 lead.

Needing just a tie in the third set to clinch gold, India faced a resurgent Korean pair who opened with two 10s. A review again proved decisive — Dhiraj's initial nine was upgraded to a 10, levelling the set at 39-39 and sealing the match 5-1.

Who Are the Champions

Dhiraj Bommadevara, 24, is India's highest-ranked recurve archer at world No. 16 and an Olympian. He had previously won mixed team bronze medals — with Ankita Bhakat in 2024 and with Bhajan Kaur in 2025 — before finally completing his collection with this gold.

Kumkum Mohod, just 17, is making her World Cup debut season. She had already tasted gold at the Shanghai World Cup last month as part of India's women's recurve team — shooting the decisive final arrow in a shoot-off against China. This is her second consecutive World Cup gold medal.

The Korean Opponents

South Korea's pair was formidable by any measure. Kim Je-deok is an Olympic gold medallist from Tokyo, and Oh Ye-jin is a member of South Korea's gold-winning women's team at the Paris Olympics. Beating them, especially at 5-1, represents a significant statement of intent from Indian recurve archery.

India's Recurve Resurgence

This victory is part of a broader upswing for Indian recurve archery. At the Shanghai World Cup earlier this season, the women's team of Deepika Kumari, Kumkum, and Ankita Bhakat defeated the record 10-time Olympic champions South Korea in the semifinals on their way to gold. Back-to-back upsets of South Korea across two World Cup stages signals that India's recurve programme is no longer a surprise challenger — it is a genuine contender.

Each archer in Sunday's final scored three 10s. Kumkum recorded three 9s, while Dhiraj added two 9s and one 8 — a tally that reflects the tight, pressure-filled nature of the contest. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, both archers will be closely watched in the qualification cycle ahead.