Korea’s rising star Lee Eun Ho announced his arrival on the big stage, claiming his first career compound men’s individual gold medal at the 2025 Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka on Thursday.
The 19-year-old’s breakthrough win included victories over top-ranked compatriots Kim Jongho in the semifinals and Choi Yonghee in the gold medal match.
After opening his day with a perfect 30, Lee closed his campaign in Bangladesh in similar fashion – enough to defeat senior teammate Choi, the bronze medallist at the Gwangju 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships, 146-143.
Top seed Kim settled for fourth after losing the bronze medal match to Malaysia’s Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki, who delivered one of the strongest matches of the day with 148 points.
The 31-year-old Korean, however, joined Choi and Lee to secure bronze in the men’s team event, won by Kazakhstan’s trio of Bunyod Mirzametov, Dilmukhamet Mussa and Andrey Tyutyun. India, led by world number 10 Abhishek Verma, finished just one point short of gold.
The compound women’s individual final was an all-Indian affair, with reigning Asian Games Champion Jyothi Surekha Vennam claiming her third individual title at the Asian Championships after previous wins in Bangkok 2015 and Dhaka 2021.
Vennam shot a near-perfect round of 149 in the semifinals against Chinese Taipei’s Chen Si-yu before overcoming 17-year-old compatriot Prithika Pradeep, the silver medallist at the Winnipeg 2025 World Archery Youth Championships, by two points in the final.
Earlier in the day, Vennam and Pradeep combined with Deepshikha to win women’s team gold, defeating Korea’s Oh Yoohyun, Park Yerin and Park Jungyoon.
Bangladesh’s emerging talent Most Kulsum Akther Mone edged Chinese Taipei’s Chen to take bronze – her first career medal and the host’s second podium of the day.
Home duo Bonna Akter and Himu Bachhar, who had raised hopes of Bangladesh’s first continental championships gold, secured silver in the compound mixed team event, won by India’s Verma and Deepshikha.
Competition in Dhaka concludes with recurve finals on Friday.
You can watch the finals live with a subscription to archery+.
