New Delhi, October 4 (HS): Kirti Sharma, a member of the Indian women’s recurve team that won the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, said that she had resolved to prove her critics wrong and was determined to do whatever it took to achieve that goal.

Kirti Sharma, Ankita Bhakat and Kumkum Mahod formed the Indian women’s recurve team that scripted history at the Asian Games 2026. The trio defeated formidable South Korea in the final to claim the gold medal.

Born into a farming family in Rithouli village, Haryana, Kirti had faced health-related difficulties since childhood. Growing up in a rural and conservative environment, she had to endure various comments and discouragement over her decision to pursue a career in sports. Despite these challenges, she refused to give up.

Speaking to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) media, Kirti said she had struggled with poor health since childhood. She had to listen to negative remarks from several people who doubted her ability to succeed in archery. “Because I was not physically fit, I initially found it difficult even to lift bows with a heavier poundage, but I had decided that I would do whatever it took to prove my critics wrong,” she said.

She achieved that goal when the Indian trio created history at the Asian Games 2026. They defeated 10-time champions South Korea 5-3 in the final to win the gold medal in the women’s recurve team event. The 19-year-old athlete credited her family, particularly her father Vijay Sharma, for standing by her during difficult times and laying the foundation for her success.

Kirti said her father is a farmer but has always supported her and, despite financial difficulties, bore all the expenses associated with her sporting career. She said several people had told her father that he should not allow her to pursue sports because she was a girl. They had also questioned her ability to succeed because of her poor health. However, her father always believed in her.

The archer, who trains at the SAI Training Centre in Hazaribagh, said she owed much of her journey towards success at the Asian Games to the Sports Authority of India and her coach, Uddhav Singh.

Kirti said her family and coach had always supported her and made her believe that she could achieve something extraordinary. She said she appeared for the SAI Hazaribagh trials because her coach, Uddhav Singh, had been transferred there. During the early years of her career, she had trained at an academy started by Uddhav Singh.

“I went to SAI Hazaribagh four years ago. Since then, there has been a tremendous improvement in my career. Whatever I have achieved, I owe it to the Sports Authority of India and my coach,” she said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar