Okazaki, October 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Seventeen-year-old Kumkum Mohod is yet to fully process her historic Asian Games triumph after becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold medal at the continental showpiece.
Kumkum defeated South Korea’s Yejin Oh in a shoot-off in the final on Saturday to claim gold and secure an individual quota place for India at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The victory also completed a memorable medal haul for the teenager, who had already won gold in the women’s recurve team event and silver in the mixed team competition.
“Doesn’t feel like it (winning) yet, still hasn’t sunk in!” Kumkum told IANS in an exclusive interaction after her triumph.
The teenager’s route to the title included victories over some of the biggest names in women’s recurve. She defeated reigning Olympic and world champion Kang Chaeyoung in the quarterfinals before overcoming China’s 2025 World Championships silver medallist Jingyi Zhu in the semifinals.
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In the final, Kumkum fought back after trailing Oh 3-5 to force a shoot-off. She then produced a 10, while Oh managed an 8, sealing the gold.
Kumkum said she did not change her approach despite the increasing pressure.
“I had the same strategy from the beginning. I focused on my key points, the process and my breathing. That’s all I did,” she said.
Her coach repeatedly reminded her to stay focused on her own execution rather than her opponents.
“He was telling me to stay in my zone. Don’t think about what the opponent is hitting or how they are playing. Don’t even look at them or listen to them. Just focus on yourself,” Kumkum said.
Even after falling behind in the final, she said there was no major tactical change.
“I just told myself to stay confident and shoot,” she said.
The young archer credits concentration, meditation, visualisation and reading for helping her maintain composure under pressure.
Kumkum said the gold was not something she had specifically targeted after finishing 10th in the ranking round. Instead, she approached each individual match separately.
“I just went for it. I told myself to be confident and see what happens. I didn’t think about the gold medal,” she said.
Despite facing athletes with Olympic and world-level credentials, Kumkum said their reputations did not affect her mindset.
Looking ahead, she wants to continue working on her game while keeping her focus on every competition.
“I want to focus on the Olympics and the rest of the matches. I want to do my best in every match,” she said.
For now, however, the magnitude of what she has achieved remains difficult for the teenager to comprehend.
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