Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam Wins Compound Archery Bronze at Asian Games

Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam delivered one of India’s most composed individual performances in compound archery at the Asian Games, defeating Vietnam’s Cong Duc Dang 149-144 to win the men’s individual bronze medal on Thursday.

The medal capped India’s compound archery campaign in Aichi-Nagoya, with the Indian contingent finishing with three gold medals and one bronze across the discipline. For Ganesh, the bronze was his second medal of the Games after his earlier success in the team competition. The 149-point performance was also a statement of consistency. Ganesh produced fourteen 10s from 15 arrows, with only one 9 across the five ends. In a bronze medal match where even a single dropped point could change the contest, that level of accuracy proved decisive.

Ganesh entered the bronze medal match after losing his semifinal to South Korea’s Kim Jongho 148-144. That defeat meant he had one more opportunity to leave the individual competition with a medal, against Vietnam’s Cong Duc Dang, who had also scored 144 in his semifinal.

The Indian immediately established control. The opening end saw both archers begin with a 10. Dang followed it with a 9, while Ganesh responded with another 10. Both finished the end with a 10, giving Ganesh a perfect 30/30 and a one-point lead at 30-29.

It was an important start because the match was always likely to be decided by marginal differences. Ganesh refused to give Dang an opening.

The second end followed the same pattern. Dang again opened with a 10 but dropped another point with his second arrow. Ganesh remained perfect, shooting 10, 10, 10. After two ends, Ganesh led 60-58. The third end was arguably the cleanest demonstration of his control. Both archers produced three 10s, meaning neither gave away a single point.

Ganesh nevertheless retained his two-point advantage, leading 90-88 with only two ends remaining. At that stage, the Indian had shot eight consecutive 10s.

The pressure was now firmly on Dang to produce something exceptional.

The fourth end finally saw Ganesh drop his first point of the bronze medal match. He shot 10, 9, 10. Dang managed 9, 10, 9, scoring 28 compared to Ganesh’s 29. Rather than allowing the single 9 to disrupt his rhythm, Ganesh immediately restored control with another 10. The Indian extended his advantage to 119-116 heading into the final three arrows.

For Dang, the equation was simple: he needed a perfect finish and a significant mistake from Ganesh. Neither happened.

Fourteen 10s secure the bronze

Ganesh opened the final end with a 10. Dang, under maximum pressure, could only produce an 8 with his opening arrow. That effectively settled the contest.

The Vietnamese archer responded with two 10s, but Ganesh matched him with two more 10s to close the match. The final score read Ganesh 149-144 Dang. The Indian had produced 14 10s and only one 9 across his 15 arrows — a remarkable level of execution in a medal match. The final end also summed up Ganesh's performance. Even after Dang opened with an 8, the Indian did not become conservative or allow the pressure to affect his shooting sequence. He continued to find the centre and finished with three consecutive 10s.

Ganesh’s bronze brought the curtain down on India’s compound archery campaign at the Asian Games. India finished with three gold medals and one bronze, falling short of the five-gold sweep achieved at Hangzhou but still producing a highly successful campaign. The gold medals came in the women’s team, mixed team and men’s team events. Ganesh himself had already contributed to India's success in the men’s compound team competition before adding an individual bronze.

His individual run was particularly significant because this was his first major multi-sport event representing India, making the podium finish an important marker in his international career. The bronze medal also ensured that India ended the compound programme with medals across both team and individual events. For Ganesh, however, the numbers tell the story most clearly.

149 points. Fourteen 10s. One 9. After losing his semifinal by four points, he responded exactly when another medal opportunity presented itself. Against Dang, there was little room for error, and Ganesh gave his opponent almost none.

The result adds another medal to India’s impressive compound archery haul and gives Ganesh a moment to remember from his first Asian Games campaign.