The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has announced the inaugural recipients of the Jaspal Rana Award and Raja Randhir Singh Award. Archer Kumkum Mohod will be bestowed with the Jaspal Rana Award while wrestler Sujeet Kalakl will receive the Randhir Singh award, the IOA announced on Sunday (October 4).
“It is fitting that Kumkum is the first recipient of the Jaspal Rana Award, as Jaspal too burst onto the scene as a prodigy at the 1994 Asian Games. Her composure under pressure and her ability to find her best form when her back was to the wall augur extremely well for Indian Archery,” IOA President P.T. Usha said after the announcement.
“India’s Archers have been knocking on the door for more than a decade now, and I firmly believe that this performance by Kumkum and her recurve teammates has shattered the glass ceiling for Indian Archery. India came close to winning a maiden Olympic medal in the sport at the Paris Olympics, and I am convinced that final frontier will be breached at the Los Angeles Olympics,” she added.
Kumkum created history and etched her name in record books as she became the first-ever Indian to win a gold medal in recurve archery. She defeated top seed Kang Chae-young in the quarter-final to reach the semi-final. She defeated China’s Jingyi Zhu 6-2 in the semis.
The first Indian to reach the recurve final, Kumkum defeated South Korea’s Oh Yejin in the gold medal match. She was trailing 1-3 at one stage and made a strong comeback to win the gold medal.
Sujeet Kalkal’s heroics in final
After defeating reigning Olympic champion Kiyooka Kotaro in the semi-final of the 65kg men’s freestyle wrestling, defeated Abdulmazhid Kudiyev in the gold medal match. He was trailing 2-1 at one stage and close to a defeat. Sujeet pulled off a heist and registered a 10-9 win to win the gold. It was India’s first gold medal in the 2026 Asian Games. Aman Sehrawat also won a gold on the final day of the event.
“Wrestling is India’s sport, and Sujeet’s performance will be spoken of for years to come. The Gold medal will be celebrated, but his never-say-die attitude and refusal to accept Silver have earned him a special place in the hearts of all Indians,” P.T. Usha said on Sujeet.
“Winning Gold medals in elite competition is not easy, but equally important is the effort that goes in when your back is against the wall. I wish Sujeet all success in the years ahead and will be rooting for him to deliver India’s first-ever Wrestling Gold medal at the Olympic Games in two years’ time.”