S. Korea the winning team at Asian Archery Grand Prix

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

South Korea took the golds in the men's and women's recurve team events of the 3rd Asian Archery Grand Prix on Thursday, ending up with the lion's share of medals in the five-day championship.

The Koreans triumphed with four gold and a silver, with India, which took the women's compound honors on Thursday, second overall in the medal standings with two gold, four silver and three bronze.

Singapore was third with two gold and two silver, while host Indonesia's five bronze put it in fifth place behind Malaysia, who took a lone silver.

The South Korean men's team beat Malaysia 248-241 in the recurve at Bung Karno Archery Field in Senayan, Central Jakarta, while Indonesia settled for bronze by defeating India 237-236.

The South Korean women provided the double victory by overcoming India 240-228, while Indonesia was third with a 230- 223 win over Malaysia.

In a nail-biting compound men's team competition, Singapore's gold came through a judge's decision based on the closest last arrow to the center. Both teams had been tied 244-244 in the regular match, and 326-326 after three extra matches.

The hosts took another bronze by edging Thailand 227-223.

In the compound women's team, India beat Singapore 243-240, with Indonesia assured the bronze in the three-team competition.

Veteran women's archer Lilies Handayani, part of the national team that won a historic silver in the 1988 Olympic Games, said South Korea still dominated in recurve, but warned that another team was catching up on them.

"South Korea is the best. India is learning very fast because in 2001, their athletes were still far behind us," she said.

"I was informed that South Korean athletes train 12 hours a day, and India trains its athletes 14 hours per day."

She said Singapore -- now coached by Indonesian Donald Pandiangan -- was strong in compound but needed work in recurve.

In Indonesia, she added, the recurve division was more popular than compound, but the team is now brushing up on its technique.

"For the Southeast Asia (SEA) Games, however, we are preparing for the compound division because previously it was not featured in the SEA Games and Asian Games," she said.