Kumkum Mohod was the only Indian archer to win an individual gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. But behind the 17-year-old’s historic achievement lies a childhood spent largely chasing her sporting dream, often at the cost of something many children take for granted: time to play with friends.
Upon her return from the Asian Games, Kumkum opened up about the sacrifices she and her parents made to help her become an international archer. The teenager from Amravati, Maharashtra, said her parents gave up their leisure time and holidays to accompany her to tournaments, while she spent much of her childhood training and competing.
“Many like to travel, enjoy life. They left all of that. They were always tagging along with me in tournaments,” Kumkum said during a press interaction facilitated by the Sports Ministry of India.
Her father, Anil Mohod, makes cardboard boxes for sweet shops in Amravati, and the family has had to work around the financial demands of pursuing archery. Her first bow was a wooden one bought for Rs 3,000 with money given to her by her grandmother. When travelling to training became difficult, her father began taking her to the academy on his motorcycle.
The sacrifices have helped Kumkum rise rapidly through the ranks, but she admitted that there were moments when she wished her childhood had been different.
“When I was not good at the sport, my dad gave me motivation. He calls me champion at home, he still does, and says that I will do everything,” she said.
“I sometimes complain that archery was my entire childhood. But it is okay. Sometimes I miss playing with kids, that is all.”
NOT THE FIRST ONE TO MISS CHILDHOOD
Kumkum is not the only young Indian sportsperson to have spoken about missing out on parts of a conventional childhood while pursuing excellence. Indian chess grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, who was 21 at the time, spoke about a similar experience during the Norway Chess tournament.
“I don’t really regret it but of course, I would have loved to have some school or college friends back home (in Chennai). But you have to give (up) certain things (to achieve certain things). When you are going for bigger things… I’m happy with how things are right now,” Praggnanandhaa told Indian media.
For young athletes, the pursuit of sporting success often begins long before the rewards arrive. Training schedules, travel and competitions can leave little room for the everyday experiences enjoyed by children their age, while families make considerable personal and financial sacrifices to support their ambitions.
KUMKUM’S GOLDEN BREAKTHROUGH
Kumkum’s sacrifices translated into major international success at the Asian Games. In Nagoya, she helped India win the women’s recurve team gold medal alongside Ankita Bhagat and Kirti Sharma, ending South Korea’s 44-year dominance in the event. India defeated the reigning world champions 5-3 in the final on October 2 to claim their first-ever Asian Games gold in the women’s recurve team competition.
Kumkum played a crucial role under pressure, producing important 10s as India stayed level with South Korea through the opening sets before taking control of the contest.
She then secured the biggest individual title of her young career, beating South Korea’s Oh Yejin in a shoot-off to win the women’s recurve individual gold. Her victory made her the only Indian archer to claim an individual gold medal at the Games.
HOW DID KUMKUM START ARCHERY?
Kumkum began archery in 2018 after her mother, Rupali, encouraged her to take up the sport. She won a silver medal at the sub-junior nationals within six months of starting, and has since progressed despite limited resources. She has been competing in recurve for only around three years and was still using a five-year-old second-hand bow during her rise to the top.
Earlier in 2026, she helped India win women’s recurve team gold at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai and mixed-team gold with Dhiraj Bommadevara at Stage 3 in Antalya. The Asian Games victories marked another significant step in her development.
For Kumkum, however, the focus remains on the task in front of her rather than the reputation of the opponent standing across the shooting line.
“I do not see my opponents. Everyone says Korean, Korean. My goal is simple. Hit a 10. If I hit it, the opponent does not matter,” she said.
That approach was evident in her Asian Games final against Oh. With the individual gold at stake, Kumkum held her nerve in the shoot-off and delivered when it mattered most, adding another milestone to a journey that began with a young girl picking up a bow in Amravati.
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