In the women’s event, Bhakat delivered the performance of her career, beating Korea’s Nam Suhyeon, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, to win her first major individual title.
“I’m so happy; this is my biggest win ever in individual events,” Bhakat said. “Playing in the Archery Premier League boosted my confidence. I enjoyed shooting today.”
Sangeeta added a recurve women’s bronze for India, beating former world number one and teammate Deepika Kumari.
India’s depth was on display again in the recurve men’s team event, where Atanu Das, Rahul and Yashdeep Sanjay Bhoge defeated Korea’s Seo Mingi, Kim Yeachan and Jang Jiho to capture the gold medal, another strong statement against Korea, long regarded as Asia’s dominant force.
National recurve coach Purnima Mahato believes that such results are not accidental but the outcome of a maturing system.
“The depth in India has increased tremendously,” she explained. “Selection itself has become tougher because so many archers are shooting high scores. It’s a healthy sign. The athletes are working very hard, and the structure is improving every year.”
