Asian Games gold medallist Kumkum Mohod, 17, now eyes Olympic dream

17-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod won gold and silver at the Asian Games. Her father, Anil Mohod, expressed pride and shared that her ultimate dream is to compete in the Olympics, crediting her coaches Praful Dange and Ganesh Jadhav for her success.

At just 17, Kumkum Mohod has already given her family and hometown Amravati plenty to celebrate at the Asian Games, winning a gold and a silver medal, but her father Anil Mohod says her biggest dream is still ahead — representing India at the Olympics. “As a father, I feel very proud of my daughter that at just 17 years of age, she has secured a gold medal in the Asian Games and will keep doing even better in the future. Her dream is big right now, and all the credit goes to our Praful Dange sir and Ganesh Jadhav sir, because they supported her at every step and she kept getting exactly what she needed from them,” Anil told ANI on Friday.

Kumkum was part of the Indian women's recurve team that scripted history by defeating South Korea 5-3 in the final to win the country's first-ever medal in the event at the Asian Games. She later teamed up with Dhiraj Bommadevara to win silver in the mixed recurve team event after India lost 3-5 to China in the final. The teenager, who will compete in the individual women's recurve quarterfinals on Saturday, has already played a crucial role in India's memorable archery campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.

A Humble Beginning and Overcoming Obstacles

Her father recalled how her journey began with a bamboo bow before she eventually moved to a recurve bow. “Her journey started with a bamboo bow in 2018 and in 2022 she bought this new recurve bow. She is playing with that same bow today and so far everything has been going great,” he said.

Despite the challenges along the way, including financial difficulties, Anil said the support of her coach helped the family overcome the obstacles. “Obstacles kept coming up, there were financial issues too and others as well, but our coach helped us from time to time, and we got through all of it. There is a very happy atmosphere in the house,” he said. He added, “Her dream is to play in the Olympics, and now let's see what happens next.”

Coach Praises 'Confident' Kumkum

Kumkum's coach Praful Dange was also full of praise for the youngster, particularly for her performance against the traditionally dominant South Korean team in the women's recurve final. “Kumkum Mohod won a gold medal in the team event at the Asian Championships today, where she shot 6 out of 5 arrows at 10, hitting the center perfectly. Only one of her arrows went to a 9. She played a very important role in the team event match against the Korean team, who are the dominant team in the world. She had a lot of confidence while fighting against them. Kirti and she also took Ankita along with her,” he told ANI.

Dange also highlighted the coordination between the three Indian archers and Kumkum's contribution alongside Ankita Bhakat and Kirti Sharma. “Ankita also supported her a lot. The coordination between all three of them was really good. After that, she competed in the mixed team event with Dhiraj. There was a little mix-up in the mixed team event. Two or three arrows went to 88, but anyway, it's part of the game. She settled for silver. She still has an individual event left for tomorrow, in which she has reached the quarterfinals. She is among the top eight archers. Hopefully, she will do well in that too. Keep your blessings with her so she can do well for India. And obviously, this will be a matter of great pride for Maharashtra and Amravati,” said Dange.

Pride of Amravati's Khelo India Centre

Kumkum's performance has also been celebrated at the Khelo India Centre in Amravati, where she trains. District Sports Officer Ganesh Jadhav said her success was a matter of pride for the district and the country. “This is a matter of great pride for us in Amravati, and indeed for the entire country, that our Khelo India girl athlete, Kumkum Mohod, has won a gold medal in the team event and a silver medal in the mixed team event today. This is a matter of great pride for our District Sports Office and the Khelo India Centre. Her coach, Praful Dange sir, and her father, Anil ji, are here with us, and she has practiced very well,” Jadhav told ANI.

Looking Ahead

Born on March 10, 2009, Kumkum trains at the Khelo India Centre in Amravati and made her international debut in 2025. She has since represented India at Archery World Cup stages and continental competitions.

With two medals already secured, Kumkum will now turn her attention to the individual event on Saturday, where she will look to add another medal to her breakthrough Asian Games campaign. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)