Father makes sweet-boxes; daughter’s Recurve Archery gold sees him buy them back in bulk as celebrations begin

Kumkum Anil Mohod, a father who runs a small sweet box making business in Amravati, Maharashtra, had his daughter, Ankita Bhakat, win India's first gold medal at the Recurve Women's Team event at the Asian Games 2026. Kumkum's father, Anil Mohod, was delivering milk packets in Kolkata before he learned of her success. The trio of Ankita, Kumkum and Kirti secured India's first gold in Recurve Archery after winning 5-2 against the Korean women's archery team in Nagoya. The Koreans, who included reigning world champion Kang Chae-young, were in the final.

Kumkum's entry into the sport began with a silver in sub-junior nationals six months after she purchased a second-hand bow. Her father, Anil, had to make bulk orders for sweet boxes to celebrate the victory. Kirti's journey into archery started when coach Udham Singh rejected her due to her thin physique. However, she was eventually selected for the SAI centre in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, where she gained strength and stability with her bow.

Her father, Vijay, took a loan to buy her a second bow. Bhakat, who finished fourth in the recurve mixed team event at the Paris Olympics, now has a daughter who captured India's first gold medal in Recurve Archery.