"The Iron Fortress Has Fallen": South Korean Women's Archery Stunned by "Three Straight 8s" as India Ends Run, Eighth Straight Title Denied

[Financial News] The proud 28-year iron fortress of the world's strongest Republic of Korea women's archery team has crumbled. The throne in the Asian Games women's recurve team event, which the Republic of Korea had never relinquished since the 1998 Bangkok Games, has finally passed to emerging powerhouse India, bringing its unprecedented bid for an eighth consecutive title to a disappointing end.
The Republic of Korea women's recurve national team, consisting of Kang Chae-young and Lee Yun Ji of Hyundai Mobis and Oh Ye-jin of Kwangju Bank, suffered a narrow 3-5 defeat on set score (54-54, 56-56, 51-55, 54-54) against India in the recurve team final at the 2026 Asian Games. The match took place on the 2nd at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
After securing a place in the final with a 6-0 sweep over Indonesia in the semifinals, overcoming fierce winds with scores of 53-49, 54-52 and 57-55, an eighth consecutive title seemed all but certain. But the final became a battle on the brink. The Republic of Korea and India exchanged tight scores in the first set, 54-54, and the second, 56-56, splitting the two available set points, one apiece, in both sets.
The match was decided in the fateful third set. An unexpected collective slump struck the Republic of Korea. All three Korean archers made the fatal mistake of shooting an 8 on their second attempt, and the team eventually dropped the set 51-55 to move to the brink of defeat.
In the final fourth set, the Republic of Korea had to win to force a shoot-off. The team summoned its resolve and shot 54 points, hoping to turn the match around. India, however, maintained its momentum. The arrow shot by India's final archer dramatically found the 10-ring, leaving even the fourth set tied at 54-54. The Republic of Korea ultimately suffered a painful 3-5 defeat on set score.
As a result, the Republic of Korea's consecutive victories in the recurve team event, which had dominated the Asian stage from the 1998 Bangkok Games through the 2022 Hangzhou Games held in 2023, stopped at seven. With India's fierce challenge extending from compound to recurve, the Taegeuk archers face an unavoidable overhaul to protect the pride of the world's strongest team.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter