Once Rejected Over Health Concerns, Indian Archer Kirti Sharma Scripts Asian Games History Under the Weight of 1.4 Billion Hopes

Nagoya, October 4: There was a time when even lifting a heavy-poundage bow was a challenge for Kirti Sharma. Today, the 19-year-old archer is an Asian Games champion, having helped India achieve a feat that had eluded the country for 44 years.

Kirti, Ankita Bhagat and Kumkum Mohod produced a stunning performance at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, defeating mighty South Korea 5-3 in the women's recurve team final at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park to win gold and bring an end to South Korea's long-standing dominance in the event.

Behind that historic triumph, however, lies a journey shaped by doubt, financial constraints and a battle against poor health.

Born into a farming family in Ritauli, Haryana, Kirti grew up in an environment where pursuing sport was hardly considered an obvious choice for a girl. Her physical condition only added to the doubts surrounding her future in archery.

"I was suffering from poor health since childhood. I had to listen to a lot of negative comments from various quarters doubting my ability to make it big in archery. Since I was not in good shape physically, initially I found it difficult to even lift bows with heavy poundage. But I was determined to do whatever it takes to prove my critics wrong," Kirti told SAI Media from Aichi-Nagoya.

The doubts were not limited to her sporting ability. Several people questioned her father Vijay Sharma's decision to allow his daughter to pursue sport.

Kirti's father, a farmer, nevertheless stood firmly behind her. Despite financial constraints, he continued to shoulder the expenses of her sporting journey and refused to let social expectations dictate his daughter's future.

"My father is a farmer. But he has always supported me and has taken care of all expenses related to my sports career despite financial constraints," Kirti said.

"Many people told my father that he should not allow me to go into sports since I was a girl. They also expressed doubts over my ability to succeed due to my poor health. But my father has always believed in me."

That belief eventually took Kirti to the Sports Authority of India's training centre in Hazaribagh, where her career began to gather momentum.

Her association with coach Uddham Singh proved decisive. Kirti had initially trained at an academy started by Singh before following him to Hazaribagh after his transfer. She appeared for the SAI trials largely because of that connection.

"I went to SAI, Hazaribagh four years ago. Since then, my career has improved by leaps and bounds. SAI and Uddham Singh sir are responsible for whatever I have achieved," she said.

For Kirti, Hazaribagh became more than just another training centre. It was where an archer once questioned for her physical ability gradually transformed into an athlete capable of competing on one of Asia's biggest sporting stages.

"My family and my coach have always supported me and made me believe that I can do wonders. In fact, I appeared for the trials at SAI, Hazaribagh only because my coach Uddham Singh was transferred there. In fact, during my initial years, I used to train at an academy started by Uddham sir," she said.

Four years after entering SAI Hazaribagh, Kirti stood on the Asian Games podium with a gold medal around her neck.

And perhaps more importantly, she did so after proving wrong everyone who once believed that poor health, financial limitations or being a girl from a farming family could determine how far she could go.

At Aichi-Nagoya, Kirti did not merely win an Asian Games gold. She became part of an Indian trio that rewrote the history of women's recurve archery in the continent.

From Ritauli to Hazaribagh, and finally to the Asian Games podium, Kirti Sharma's journey is a reminder that sometimes the biggest victories begin with simply refusing to accept the limits others place on you.