Legendary Korean coach Kisik Lee is set to take over as India’s national recurve head coach ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The 67-year-old is expected to arrive by early August and will be based between New Delhi and the northern regional training centre in Sonepat, a World Archery report said.
While the final contract is still to be signed, Lee has already outlined his coaching philosophy:
“My job is to train the athletes and the coaches – and the archers show good results in the process.”
Lee brings a decorated coaching legacy, having started his international career as head coach of the Korean Olympic archery team.
While based at Australia’s Institute of Sport, he coached Simon Fairweather to Olympic gold in Sydney 2000 and Tim Cuddihy to bronze in Athens 2004. As head coach of Team USA from 2006 to 2024, his archers claimed more than 300 Archery World Cup medals – nearly half of them gold – alongside three Olympic medals from 2012 to 2016 and world titles in recurve, indoor, field 3D and youth categories.
His coaching also propelled Brady Ellison to become one of the sport’s most decorated archers, with five Olympic medals, two World Archery Field Championship titles, the 2019 Hyundai World Archery Championship and five Archery World Cup Final victories.
“All his demands have been accepted,” said the national archery federation‘s treasurer Joris Paulose Ummacheril. “A free hand will be given to him so that Kisik Lee can put his plan into action.”
Lee, who was named coach of the year by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee in 2019, is expected to work across India’s elite and junior recurve programmes. His arrival marks a significant investment in long-term Olympic success.
Some senior Indian archers had initial concerns due to differences in technique, but Lee is reportedly comfortable accommodating varied styles within his broader coaching framework.
Changes in India’s coaching setup are likely to follow, with former international Rahul Banerjee tipped to take over the women’s recurve squad.