India’s top archers staged a brilliant comeback at the Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka on Tuesday, with Deepika Kumari and Dhiraj Bommadevara spearheading a remarkable resurgence after missing out on team berths. Their inspired performances, alongside a strong showing from teammates across categories, have assured India of at least four medals in individual and team events.
Deepika, Ankita, and Sangeeta Shine in Women’s Recurve
Olympian Deepika Kumari, the country’s top-ranked recurve archer, rediscovered her rhythm to defeat Korea’s Lee Gahyun– the Shanghai World Cup gold medallist- 7–3 in a composed quarterfinal performance. The victory booked Deepika a semifinal berth against compatriot Ankita Bhakat, ensuring India at least one finalist and a guaranteed medal in the women’s recurve individual event.
Ankita Bhakat delivered one of the biggest upsets of the day, overcoming top seed and former world champion Jang Minhee of Korea 6–4. Meanwhile, Sangeeta continued India’s domination by cruising past Iran’s Zare Reyhane 7–1 to enter the semifinals, where she will face Nam Suhyeon of Korea.
With Deepika, Ankita, and Sangeeta all in the last four, India stands on the brink of a historic clean sweep in the women’s recurve category.
Dhiraj and Rahul Redeem in Men’s Recurve
In the men’s section, Dhiraj Bommadevara produced a gritty performance to edge past Uzbekistan’s Amirkhon Sadikov in a tense shoot-off. Locked 5–5 after four sets, both archers shot 10s in the decider, but Dhiraj’s arrow landed closer to the centre to secure victory. He will now meet Jang Chaehwan of Korea in the semifinals.
Rahul, seeded 11th, also advanced with a confident 6–2 win over Lin Zih-Siang of Chinese Taipei. A costly misfire from his opponent in the fourth set sealed the match in the Indian’s favour. Rahul will face Korea’s Seo Mingi in the semifinals, giving India a strong chance at another podium finish.
However, it was a disappointing day for Yashdeep Bhoge, who exited in the pre-quarterfinals after a 4–6 loss to Bangladesh’s Mohammad Rakib Mia, while two-time Olympian Atanu Das bowed out in the opening round.
Jyothi and Prithika Power Into Compound Semifinals
India’s women archers continued their impressive form in the compound events. World champion Jyothi Surekha Vennam defeated Korea’s Oh Yoohyun 147–145, setting up a semifinal clash with Si-Yu Chen of Chinese Taipei.
Prithika Pradeep also progressed, overcoming compatriot Chikitha Thippeswamy 148–146. She will face Bangladesh’s Most Kulsum Akther Mone next. Their twin semifinal appearances assure India at least one medal in the compound women’s individual category.
Setbacks in Men’s Compound, Team Ensures Medal
The men’s compound archers endured a difficult day. Sahil Jadhav narrowly lost 147–148 to Korea’s Lee Eunho, while Prathamesh Fuge suffered a heartbreaking shoot-off defeat to Choi Yonghee after a 148–148 tie. Veteran Abhishek Verma, a bronze medallist in the previous edition, went down 148–149 to Malaysia’s Mohammad Juwaidi Mazuki. Earlier, Fuge had eliminated Prathamesh Jawkar, who was returning to compound archery after briefly switching to recurve in pursuit of Olympic qualification.
Despite the individual disappointments, the Indian compound men’s team- featuring Verma, Jadhav, and Fuge- advanced to the final against Kazakhstan, securing another medal for the country.
A Strong Medal Tally in Sight
With multiple semifinalists across categories, India has already guaranteed at least four medals- in recurve men’s, recurve women’s, compound women’s, and compound men’s team events- and remains in contention for several more as the championships progress.
The resurgence of Deepika Kumari and Dhiraj Bommadevara, both of whom had struggled in the qualification rounds, has reinvigorated India’s campaign and reaffirmed the country’s growing stature in Asian archery.
Also Read: Why Is Archery One Of The Oldest Yet Most Precise Sports?
Indian squad for the Asian Archery Championships 2025
Compound Men: Prathamesh Fuge, Sahil Jadhav, Prathamesh Jawkar, Abhishek Verma
Compound Women: Deepshikha, Prithika Pradeep, Chikitha Taniparthi, Jyothi Surekha Vennam
Recurve Women: Sangeeta, Anshika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, Deepika Kumari
Recurve Men: Yashdeep Sanjay Bhoge, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Atanu Das, Rahul
Asian Archery Championships 2025 schedule
As per Indian Standard Time (IST)
November 10, Monday
- Men’s recurve team bronze medal match – 3:45 PM
- Women’s compound team bronze medal match – 3:45 PM
November 11, Tuesday
- Women’s recurve team bronze medal match – 3:45 PM
- Men’s compound team bronze medal match – 3:45 PM
November 13, Thursday
- Women’s compound team gold medal match – 9:30 AM
- Men’s compound team gold medal match – 9:55 AM
- Compound mixed team bronze medal match – 10:20 AM
- Compound mixed team gold medal match – 10:40 AM
- Women’s compound individual bronze medal match – 2:00 PM
- Women’s compound individual gold medal match – 2:15 PM
- Men’s compound individual bronze medal match – 3:00 PM
- Men’s compound individual gold medal match – 3:15 PM
November 14, Friday
- Women’s recurve team gold medal match – 9:30 AM
- Men’s recurve team gold medal match – 9:55 AM
- Recurve mixed team bronze medal match – 10:20 AM
- Recurve mixed team gold medal match – 10:40 AM
- Women’s recurve individual bronze medal match – 2:00 PM
- Women’s recurve individual gold medal match – 2:15 PM
- Men’s recurve individual bronze medal match – 3:00 PM
- Men’s recurve individual gold medal match – 3:15 PM
