Ankita Bhakat helps India end Korean dominance, wins historic Asian Games gold
PINAKI MAJUMDAR Jamshedpur, October 2: Tata Archery Academy (TAA) athlete Ankita Bhakat etched her name in Indian archery history on Friday, helping…
PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, October 2: Tata Archery Academy (TAA) athlete Ankita Bhakat etched her name in Indian archery history on Friday, helping the country win its first-ever Asian Games gold in the Women’s Recurve Team event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Ankita, along with Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod, defeated defending champions South Korea 5-3 in a fiercely contested final at Okazaki, ending Korea’s seven-edition winning streak in the event.
From Asian Games Bronze to Historic Gold
The triumph marks a remarkable turnaround for Ankita, who was part of India’s bronze-medal-winning women’s recurve team at the 2022 Asian Games.
Four years later, she has helped India move from the third step of the podium to the top.
Hailing from Kolkata, Ankita joined the Tata Archery Academy in Jamshedpur in 2014 at the age of 16. She switched to recurve archery at the Academy and trained under renowned coaches, including Padma Shri Purnima Mahato, Head Coach, Tata Archery Academy.
Over the years, TAA provided her with the coaching and high-performance environment that helped shape her into an international-level archer.
World Youth Title Marked Early Breakthrough
Ankita’s first major international breakthrough came in 2017 when she and Jemson Singh Ningthoujam won gold in the junior mixed-team event at the World Archery Youth Championships in Rosario, Argentina.
The victory was India’s first world youth title since 2011.
She has since represented India at the Asian Games, World Championships and Olympic Games, establishing herself as a consistent performer on the international circuit.
She was part of India’s women’s recurve teams that won gold at World Cup Stage 1 in Guatemala and Stage 3 in Paris in 2021.
In May 2026, she added another World Cup gold to her collection when the Indian team defeated China in the final of Stage 2 in Shanghai.
First Indian Woman to Win Asian Individual Recurve Gold
In November 2025, Ankita achieved another landmark by becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold at the Asian Archery Championships.
She defeated South Korea’s Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Nam Suhyeon 7-3 in the final in Dhaka.
India Holds Its Nerve in Tense Final
The Asian Games final was closely fought, with India and South Korea locked level through the opening stages.
India held its nerve and won the crucial third set to take a 4-2 lead. With the contest on a knife-edge, the final set again went down to the wire before Kumkum Mohod’s crucial 10 helped India secure the decisive point and seal the historic 5-3 victory.
“This is a very special moment for me and for all of us. Winning India’s first-ever Asian Games gold in the women’s recurve team event is something we will always cherish,” Ankita said.
She credited her teammates, coaches, family and support staff for the achievement and acknowledged the important role played by TAA in her development as an archer.
Tata Steel Hails Historic Achievement
Tata Steel Vice-President, Corporate Services, D B Sundara Ramam congratulated Ankita, Kirti and Kumkum on their historic achievement.
He said Ankita’s journey from a 16-year-old trainee in 2014 to an Asian Games champion was a testament to her perseverance, discipline and commitment, as well as the sustained efforts of her coaches and support system.
The historic gold adds another significant chapter to the legacy of Tata Archery Academy, which has consistently nurtured young talent and supported athletes on their journey from grassroots training to the international stage.
