Vietnamese archer Cong Duc missed out on a historic medal at the 2026 Asian Games after placing fourth in the individual event. The 23-year-old athlete reached the semifinals before narrow losses in both the penultimate round and the bronze-medal match ended his podium campaign.
Semifinal Defeat Against Chang Cheng Wei
Cong Duc advanced to the final four of the continental tournament following a 146-143 victory over South Korea’s Choi Yonghee in the quarterfinals on Oct. 1. That set up a semifinal clash against Chang Cheng Wei representing Chinese Taipei. The two competitors traded precise arrows in a closely contested match until the fourth round, when the Vietnamese representative shot an eight with his second arrow. That single misstep surrendered both his narrow advantage and a direct path to the gold-medal match, resulting in a tight 144-145 defeat.
Fourth-Place Finish in Bronze Medal Match
Relegated to the third-place playoff, Cong Duc faced India’s Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam. Despite shooting a perfect score in the third quarter of the match, the young archer could not maintain his consistency through the closing ends. He ultimately dropped the contest 144-149 to finish fourth overall. The run marked the first time an individual Vietnamese archer had reached a medal match at the Asian Games.
Continental Milestone for Vietnamese Archery
While the result denied Vietnam its first-ever archery medal at the Asiad, reaching the semifinals is a record for the country in regional competition. The sport carries a deep and competitive tradition across Asia, making the deep tournament run a milestone for the national program. At 23 years old, the Asian Games experience provides foundational competition depth for Cong Duc as he prepares for upcoming international tournaments.
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