Sixteen-year-old Kumkum Mohod announced herself as one of Indian archery’s most exciting young prospects after finishing top of the recurve women’s section at the first Archery Selection Trials held at the Sports Authority of India campus in Kolkata on Friday.
Competing against a field stacked with Olympians and established internationals, the teenager from Amaravati, Maharashtra delivered a performance marked by consistency, composure, and clarity of purpose.
Kumkum accumulated an overall 13.5 points across three stages to edge past Olympian Ankita Bhakat by a narrow 0.5-point margin. While Ankita won the elimination phase, Kumkum’s steadiness across qualification, round-robin, and eliminations ensured she emerged on top of the standings. For an athlete still in her mid-teens, the ability to maintain level-headedness across multiple formats stood out as much as her technical execution.
What makes Kumkum’s achievement even more notable is the decision that preceded it. Persuaded by her coach Prafull Dange, she chose to skip the National School Games in Ranchi in order to compete at the senior selection trials. It was a calculated risk one that paid off emphatically. Kumkum, who made her international debut at the Asia Cup Stage 1 last year, showed that her transition from junior promise to senior contention is already well underway.
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“I visualised winning the trials,” Kumkum said after her performance, a statement that reflected the self-belief she carried into the competition. That confidence was matched by recognition, as she received a sponsorship offer from OGQ (Olympic Gold Quest) during the trials an early endorsement of her potential at the elite level.
Behind Kumkum, the margins were fine. Simranjeet Kaur and Deepika Kumari both finished on 12.75 points, with Simranjeet prevailing in a shoot-off to claim third place. For Deepika, one of India’s most decorated archers, the result underlined the growing competitiveness of the women’s recurve field, where younger athletes are increasingly challenging established names.
The men’s recurve section saw Olympian B. Dhiraj finish on top with 14 points, reaffirming his consistency at the domestic level. Sahil Jadhav, the World University Games gold medallist, led the compound men’s section with 13.75 points, continuing his strong run across formats.
In the compound women’s category, the standings highlighted just how tight the competition has become. Despite losing the elimination final 147–148 to Tejal Salve, V. Jyothi Surekha finished as the top performer overall with 15.25 points, once again showcasing her ability to deliver across stages even when knockout results do not go her way.
The trials also carried significant implications for India’s international calendar. The top four archers in each category have qualified to compete in the World Cup stages in Mexico (April 7–12) and China (May 5–10). Meanwhile, the top 16 from these trials will advance to the second selection trials, after which teams will be finalized for the next two World Cups in Turkey (June 9–14) and Spain (July 7–12), as well as the Asian Games scheduled from September 19 to October 4.
For Indian archery, the results in Kolkata underlined two parallel narratives. On one hand, seasoned performers like Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and Jyothi Surekha continue to set high benchmarks. On the other, the emergence of athletes like Kumkum Mohod signals a generational shift that could add depth and resilience to India’s international squads.
Kumkum’s rise, in particular, offers a glimpse into the future. Her ability to absorb pressure, make bold choices early in her career, and execute with maturity suggests that she may soon become a regular feature in India’s recurve line-ups at World Cups and multi-sport events. At just 16, she has already demonstrated that she belongs in senior company.
Selected Teams After First Trials
Recurve—Men: B. Dhiraj, Atanu Das, Yashdeep Bhoge, Tarundeep Rai
Recurve—Women: Kumkum Mohod, Ankita Bhakat, Simranjeet Kaur, Deepika Kumari
Compound – Men: Sahil Jadhav, Ojas Deotale, Kushal Dalal, Abhishek Verma
Compound – Women: V. Jyothi Surekha, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, Aditi Swami, Pragati
As the selection season progresses, all eyes will now be on whether Kumkum Mohod can sustain this momentum on the international stage a challenge that often separates prodigies from podium regulars.
