Kirti Sharma, who teamed up with Ankita Bhakat and Kumkum Mohod in the gold-medal winning trio on Friday, said the Indian archers relied on their process and mental composure to negotiate a high-pressure final.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe were not thinking about our opponents. We were just focused on our own performance and following the process we went through during training,\u201d Kirti Sharma told SAI media in Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Indian team had earlier produced another statement victory in the semifinals, defeating China 5-1 to set up a final against South Korea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kirti said controlling their emotions and maintaining faith in each other proved crucial as India attempted to break South Korea\u2019s long-standing hold over the Asian Games event.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAll three of us had to control our emotions and believed in each other. We didn\u2019t think about the results and just gave our 100 percent,\u201d she added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Hazaribagh-based archer, who hails from Haryana and trains under coach Udham Singh at the SAI training centre in Hazaribagh, said the Indian trio were aware that even a small lapse could change the complexion of the contest.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe knew that our opponents can take the game away if we commit even a small mistake. But we stood strong and maintained the same intensity from the first arrow that we fired to the last one,\u201d Kirti said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India\u2019s victory came after the country\u2019s compound archers had already made a major impact at the Games, winning the men\u2019s, women\u2019s and mixed team gold medals at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kirti said that unprecedented success had provided additional motivation to the recurve squad before their own competition began.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOur confidence took a big boost after the compound events. The day we won three consecutive gold medals was a lucky day for India. It motivated us a lot. We wanted to emulate their feat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe were raring to go and could hardly wait for our event to start.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The victory over South Korea marked a significant moment in the Asian Games history of women\u2019s recurve archery, with India overcoming the continental powerhouse in a final that demanded both consistency and composure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe were raring to go and could hardly wait for our event to start.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> Special Cricket Stories<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n