A slow start from the pair of Bonna Akter and Himu Bashar ultimately cost Bangladesh their chance at gold.
In the first set, India scored 39 points while Bangladesh managed 35. Though Bonna and Himu tried to make up for the early deficit, it wasn’t enough in the end, and Bangladesh’s dream of winning gold in the compound mixed team event was shattered.
At the Army Stadium on Thursday, India’s Dipshikha and Abhishek Verma duo defeated Bangladesh’s Bonna-Himu pair 153–151 in the final to claim gold, leaving Bangladesh with the silver medal.
After trailing by four points in the opening set, Bangladesh fought back to win the next two sets 39–38 each, reducing India’s lead to just two points. However, the fourth set ended level at 38–38, confirming Bangladesh’s narrow defeat.
Before the medal ceremony, Bonna and Himu stood quietly in a corner, the disappointment clear on Bonna’s face. Speaking to reporters, she reflected on the match with a mix of pride and regret.
“Alhamdulillah. It feels good to win a medal for the first time for our country in the compound event of the Asian Archery Championships. We couldn’t get the gold… but we tried our best. Luck also plays a role here, and today it just wasn’t on our side. We didn’t start well, and even though we tried later, it wasn’t enough.”
Himu attributed their slow start to his lack of experience, his words revealing both joy for the silver and sadness over the missed gold.
“This was my first time competing in the Asian Archery Championships. I wasn’t too nervous, but I’m still a bit inexperienced, and that showed early on. Still, winning a medal for Bangladesh for the first time in Asian Archery gives us great confidence for the future.”
This is Bangladesh’s first-ever medal in the compound event at the Asian Archery Championships. Including both recurve and compound events, Bangladesh now has two silver medals in total.
Back in 2021, the duo of Hakim Ahmed Rubel and Diya Siddique won Bangladesh’s first silver in the recurve mixed team event. Counting all categories, Bangladesh has now secured four medals in Asian Archery history — including two bronzes from the men’s and women’s recurve events in 2021.
