At the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Indonesian archer Nurisa Dian Ashrifah won the compound women’s individual gold medal on Thursday, October 1, 2026, pushing her country up to 13th place in the overall standings.
The victory at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose brought Indonesia’s total medal count to 34, consisting of 5 gold, 8 silver, and 21 bronze medals by Thursday afternoon, radarcirebon.disway.id reported.
Nail-Biting Final Secures Gold Over Philippines
Facing off against Philippine competitor Amaya Amparo Cojuangco in the gold-medal match, Nurisa delivered a steady performance under intense pressure. She edged out her opponent with a final score of 139 to 137, securing a narrow two-point margin to stand atop the podium.
Historic Breakthrough for Indonesian Archery
Nurisa’s triumph marks a watershed moment for the sport in her home country.
Prior to this achievement, the country’s best finishes in the sport yielded only silver medals. Historical results from previous editions include the men’s team recurve silver in 1982 by Tatang Budiman, Donald Pandiangan, and Suradi Rukimin, followed by the women’s team recurve silver in 1994 by Danahuri Dahliana, Rusena Gelanteh, and Purnama Pandiangan. Diananda Choirunisa added another individual recurve silver at the 2018 Asian Games.
Target Exceeded and Regional Momentum Built
Beyond breaking the archery drought, Nurisa’s gold medal pushed the Indonesian contingent past the government’s pre-tournament target of four gold medals for the 2026 Games. Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir praised the athlete’s resilience, pointing out that surpassing the initial goal should serve as motivation rather than a reason for complacency.
“Emas kelima sudah kita dapatkan dan berarti target empat emas yang kita tetapkan sudah terlampaui,” Minister Erick stated, adding that the achievement must serve as momentum to build sustainable success toward the 2027 SEA Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
From Central Java Training to the International Podium
Nurisa’s journey to the top in Japan stems from a structured, multi-tier development system in her home region of Central Java, according to the Pemerintah Provinsi Jawa Tengah. Born in Semarang on November 30, 2005, she first claimed a silver medal for Central Java at the 2024 National Sports Week (PON XXI), followed by a gold medal at the 2025 National Student Sports Week (POMNAS XIX). She then secured another gold representing Indonesia at the 33rd SEA Games in 2025 before culminating her rise in Nagoya.
Aria Chandra Destianto, Head of the Central Java Youth and Sports Office (Dispora), emphasized that Nurisa’s success demonstrates the effectiveness of continuous athletic pathways paired with academic support. Nurisa currently balances her training with a Bachelor of Management degree at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) in Semarang, benefiting from institutional flexibility designed to sustain dual-career paths for elite athletes.
