Oh Yejin and Kim Je Deok were left ruing the chance to win their first Hyundai Archery World Cup mixed team gold together as India stunned Korea 5-1 at Antalya 2026, stage three of the circuit.
Whenever a Korean recurve team steps onto a finals field, gold often feels inevitable given the nation’s renowned depth – although China’s recurve women’s team has challenged that dominance this season after claiming a second stage win earlier in Antalya.
Dhiraj Bommadevara and Kumkum Anil Mohod had other ideas.
The Indian pair delivered a near-clinical performance against the nation that has won both Olympic mixed team gold medals since the event joined the programme at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Even after Bommadevara shot his second 10 of the match at the end of the second set to move India 4-0 ahead – while Yejin and Je Deok placed all four arrows in the nine-ring – there remained a sense that Korea could still drag the match into a shoot-off.
Korea responded with a superb 39-point third set, including two arrows in the X-ring from Olympic men’s team gold medallist Je Deok, but India matched it to close out the match 5-1 and spark celebrations from teammates and coaches in the stands.
“Actually, this time it feels more special because it’s the first time winning mixed team gold for me,” said Bommadevara when comparing the victory with his recurve men’s team title at Shanghai 2024. “Usually it’s not quite good for us, but the good thing is we didn’t give up. The most important thing is we didn’t think about who we were playing against; we were just focusing on ourselves.”
“We are just trying to enjoy our game and believe in ourselves because we deserve it, given how much hard work we have done back in India.”
“We know how much effort each other is putting into everything to win gold for the country. That’s what matters most for me and also for our team.”
