India's Archers Close the Gap with Korean Rivals
Image Source: Internet
Mumbai: For years, Indian recurve archers faced South Korea with a mix of trepidation and respect. However, a subtle shift in mindset and a series of impressive performances are slowly eroding the aura of invincibility around Korean archery. At the recent Asian Championships in Dhaka, India claimed three of the five recurve gold medals, including the men's team title, which they secured by defeating Korea in the final. The men's team, led by Dhiraj Bommadevara, also won the 2024 World Cup Stage 1 gold by defeating a strong Korean unit. In the 2023 World Cup Final, Dhiraj stunned five-time Olympic champion Kim Woo-jin, while 21-year-old Rahul Pawariya beat Korea's No. 4, Seo Mingi, in Dhaka. The junior archer, Sharvari Shende, also made a statement by beating two Koreans to become the U-18 world youth recurve champion in August. This newfound confidence can be attributed to several factors, including the presence of Korean coaches, exposure camps in Korea, and a general shift in attitude. Dhiraj believes that the scores have become more neck and neck across countries, with Koreans no longer holding a significant advantage. The 2025 World Championships saw only two of the five recurve titles go to Korea, while the youth Worlds saw the USA and India take home gold. As India's top recurve archer, Dhiraj attributes the progress to the hiring of Korean coaches, including Kim Hagyong, who coached him from 2017 to the pandemic. He also credits the experience gained from training in Korea, where he familiarized himself with the diverse conditions at various grounds. Rahul, who spent a month training in Gwangju, picked up a key Korean trait – repeating the same things over and over in training – which has helped him develop a more consistent approach. However, the biggest challenge remains consistent performance in higher-stakes tournaments, such as the Asian Games. While India's archers have made significant strides, they must continue to push themselves to new heights to truly close the gap with their Korean rivals.
