) INDIAN archers kept the medal rush going as the women’s recurve team produced a sensational performance under pressure to stun 10-time Olympic champions South Korea and clinch a maiden Asian Games gold, while the mixed team signed off with a historic silver here on Friday. Seasoned campaigner Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and 17- year-old Kumkum Mohod held their nerve in challenging windy conditions to outshoot the defending champions and script a historic triumph. Kumkum then returned to the range with DhirajBommadevara and combined for a silver medal in mixed recurve team event, with Indian duo going down 3-5 (34-38, 35- 37, 37-36, 37-37) to China in the final. The women’s triumph capped an upward curve for the Indian recurve team, which had ended a five-year wait for a World Cup gold in Shanghai in May by defeating Korea in the semi-finals en route to the title.

 

It was largely the same combination that triumphed in Shanghai, with Kirti replacing former world number one Deepika Kumari, who failed to qualify for the Asian Games through the selection trials. SILVER IN MIXED TEAM: Teenager Kumkum bagged her second medal of the day as she and Dhiraj bagged the silver. Kumkum who had been in sensational form throughout the day, could not quite reproduce her best in the mixed team final. She managed just one 10, while a string of 8s and a 7 allowed China’s Mengqi Li, who shot five 10s, to make the difference. Kumkum and Dhiraj had earlier stormed into the mixed recurve final by edging past Japan 5-3. The Indian pair made a slow start, dropping the opening set 37-38, but gradually found their rhythm to share the second before taking third and drawing level at 3-3. Dhiraj and Kumkum then capitalised on a costly 7 from Japan to win the fourth set 37- 35 and seal India’s first-ever Asian Games final berth in the recurve mixed team event.