Teen Wins Archery Gold with 5-Year-Old Second-Hand Bow

When 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod won team gold at the Archery World Cup in Shanghai last Sunday, her father did something that perfectly captures their journey. Anil Mohod, who makes cardboard boxes for sweet shops in Amravati, India, called one of his clients to order sweets for the first time ever as a customer, not a supplier.

The win marked India's first women's archery team gold since 2021. Kumkum shot alongside veteran Deepika Kumari and Ankita Bhakat, matching Kumari's average in the final against China and delivering a perfect ten in the deciding shoot-off.

She competed with a second-hand recurve bow she's used for five years. Her archery career started in 2018 with a wooden bow bought using 3,000 rupees (about $35) from her grandmother. Six months later, she won silver at the sub-junior nationals.

The family's sacrifices have been constant and creative. When Kumkum joined the Khelo India sports program, her father drove her to practice on his motorcycle after shared auto rides became too expensive at 5,000 rupees monthly. When other students dropped out, splitting the fare was no longer possible.

Her mother Rupali started it all in 2018 after seeing a relative's daughter take up archery. She insisted their only child try the sport at coach Prafull Dange's academy in Amravati.

Dange saw potential immediately in Kumkum's determination and natural form. During COVID lockdowns, they worked on short-distance shooting techniques that most archers avoid, helping her develop automatic back muscle engagement for drawing the bow.

Her rise has been steady through tournaments. Last year brought bronze at nationals with the Maharashtra team. At the Asia Cup in Bangkok, her first appearance for India, she gained crucial experience despite an early individual exit.

In Shanghai, she qualified as India's second-best shooter with a score of 651. In the semifinals against Korea, she averaged 9.5 as India won 5-1, only the fourth time India's women's team has ever defeated them.

Why This Inspires

Kumkum's philosophy cuts to the heart of what makes champions. "I believe whether a bow is second-hand or not, it does not matter," she said after the win. "A bow is a bow only and we have to shoot arrows. It all depends on one's confidence and ability."

She studies for hours after each competition, watching videos of shooting techniques her coach sends. She idolizes Korean archer Kang Chaeyoung, the world number one, the same athlete India beat in that historic semifinal.

Back home, her father celebrates each medal by stopping work to order sweets from the same shops he serves. "With every medal, I have to call my old clients to order sweets," Anil says, laughing about the role reversal.

This week, Kumkum heads to trials for the Asian Games, carrying a second-hand bow and a world-class belief in herself.