INDONESIA WINS 3 GOLDS AT WORLD PARA ARCHERY 2026
Six medals. Five athletes. One tournament in Bangkok that just put Indonesia on the world para archery map — and sent a clear signal toward Los Angeles 2028.
The bow string snapped. The arrow flew. And by April 4, 2026, Indonesia had done something most people outside the sport didn't see coming — finished second in the entire world at the Hyundai World Archery Para Series 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The full haul: three gold medals, one silver, and two bronze. Six medals across six events, earned by five athletes who spent six days competing against the best para archers in Asia and beyond.
What is the Hyundai World Archery Para Series 2026?
The Hyundai World Archery Para Series is a multi-stage international circuit organized by World Archery, the sport's global governing body, for para-athletes competing in recurve and compound disciplines. Events are held in individual, team, and mixed team formats across open and wheelchair classifications. The 2026 Bangkok leg ran from March 30 to April 4 at an outdoor venue in the Thai capital, drawing competitors from India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and other nations. Indonesia finished as runner-up on the overall medal standings.
Who won what? Indonesia's full medal breakdown
| Medal | Athlete(s) | Event | Final score |
| Gold | Kholidin | Recurve men open (individual) | 7–3 vs India's Singh Harvinder |
| Gold | Kholidin & Riyanti Ananda | Recurve mixed team | 6–2 vs Thailand (final) |
| Gold | Noviera Ross & Riyanti Ananda | Recurve women team | 5–3 vs Thailand (final) |
| Silver | Arif Firmansyah & Teodora Audi | Compound mixed team | - |
| Bronze | Riyanti Ananda | Recurve women open (individual) | - |
| Bronze | Setiawan | Recurve men open (individual) | 6–2 vs South Korea's Geonhwi Kwak |
How did Kholidin dominate the individual event?
From the first round, Kholidin made it look routine. He opened with a 6–0 shutout of Thailand's Thotsaphon Prasoet, then systematically worked through competitors from South Korea, Thailand, and fellow Indonesian Setiawan. In the final, he faced India's Singh Harvinder — and won 7–3 to take gold in the recurve men open.
He wasn't done. Paired with Riyanti Ananda in the mixed recurve team, the duo received a bye into the quarterfinals, beat India 5–3 in the semis, then defeated Thailand on home turf 6–2 in the gold medal match. Two golds, zero losses in finals.
What about the women and the compound team?
Riyanti Ananda is the quiet standout of this entire tournament. She contributed to two golds — mixed team with Kholidin, and women's team with Noviera Ross — and still came back to claim a bronze in the women's recurve individual event. Three medals from one athlete, across three different disciplines in one week.
Noviera Ross and Riyanti Ananda's women's team gold came on Thai soil: they beat Japan 6–2 in the semis, then edged out the hosts 5–3 in the final. Meanwhile, Arif Firmansyah and Teodora Audi — competing in compound mixed team, a different bow category from recurve — added a silver to the tally. Setiawan, who had earlier lost to Kholidin in the recurve draw, bounced back to take bronze by defeating South Korea's Geonhwi Kwak 6–2.
Why does this result matter for Indonesian sport?
the National Paralympic Committee of Indonesia — explicitly framed these results as part of the road to the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles 2028. That framing matters. This wasn't just a standalone competition result; it's a performance data point that will shape team selection and funding decisions heading into the biggest para-sport event in the world.
Finishing above Japan and South Korea on the medal table — both nations with larger sports budgets and longer institutional histories in archery — is the kind of counterintuitive result that forces a reassessment. Indonesia's para archery program is no longer an underdog story. It's a contender.
