(Asiad) Indian archers end South Korea's recurve reign; Oh Ye-jin vows to grow from losses
OKAZAKI, Japan, Oct. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea had maintained a strong presence in recurve archery on the international stage for decades, regarding the event as a reliable source of gold medals at major competitions.
At the Asian Games, in particular, South Korean women archers had never failed to win gold in the women's recurve events since 1978, when the sport was first contested at the continental multisport event.
However, at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, they faced a strong challenge from Indian archers, who won gold medals in both the women's team and individual recurve events, ending South Korea's decadeslong dominance.
Oh Ye-jin of South Korea leaves the ground after a medal ceremony for the women's individual recurve archery at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
In the women's team recurve final on Friday, the South Korean team of Oh Ye-jin, Kang Chae-young and Lee Yun-ji lost to India 5-3.
In the women's individual final on Saturday, Oh also lost to Kumkum Anil Mohod in a shoot-off. Oh shot an 8 in the sudden-death shoot-off, while the Indian archer hit a 10.
Before the final, Kang lost to India's Kumkum Anil Mohod 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
The loss in the team final affected South Korean athletes competing in the individual event, as they felt a great sense of responsibility to defend the seventh consecutive team gold at the Asian Games.
"We've felt that Indian archery has improved a lot from years ago," Kang said after the quarterfinal match. "Nevertheless, yesterday's failure was a shock to us."
Oh Ye-jin (L) of South Korea poses for a photo with gold medalist Kumkum Anil Mohod (C) of India during a medal ceremony for the women's individual recurve archery at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
Oh said she tried to do what she had learned, but the two losses to Indian archers here gave her something to work on.
"I told myself to think simpler and do as I have done," she said. "But this is the result of my years of effort and I'll accept it and grow further."
She remained confident that she could help South Korea regain its position at the top of Asian archery in future competitions.
"I will grow as much as I suffer today," Oh said. "We can do it. Go Korea."
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