India produced a landmark performance at the 24th Asian Archery Championships 2025, topping the medals table for the first time in the event’s history with six gold, three silver, and one bronze. The achievement was headlined by a historic sweep of the recurve individual titles, with Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara becoming the first Indian female and male archers to win the Asian recurve individual gold medals.
The championships, long dominated by archery powerhouse South Korea, saw a dramatic shift as India outshot their continental rivals in both individual and team events, signaling a new era for Indian archery.
Ankita Bhakat’s Career-Defining Triumph
In what is being hailed as one of India’s greatest recurve victories, Ankita Bhakat stunned Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Nam Suhyeon 7–3 in a high-intensity final. Ranked 36th in the world, Ankita displayed exceptional composure, firing four 10s in her last six arrows to secure her first individual title in a continental championship.
Her path to gold was equally remarkable. Ankita defeated top-seeded Korean Jang Minhee in the early rounds before edging out her senior teammate Deepika Kumari in a nerve-racking semifinal shoot-off. She then maintained her poise in the final, responding to every Korean challenge with precision and stunning consistency.
“This is my biggest win ever,” Ankita said afterwards. “Playing in the Archery Premier League boosted my confidence. I enjoyed every moment today.”
Sangeeta completed India’s podium success in the event, defeating Deepika Kumari in a shoot-off to clinch the women’s recurve bronze.
Dhiraj Bommadevara Ends Korea’s Dominance
Mirroring Ankita’s feat, B. Dhiraj Bommadevara clinched the men’s recurve gold, defeating compatriot Rahul 6–2 in an all-India final- an extremely rare occurrence in Asian archery.
Dhiraj’s campaign was a masterclass in control and precision. After topping qualification, he powered through the elimination rounds with consistent 28s and 29s, including a pivotal 6–2 semifinal win over Korea’s Jang Chaehwan. His victory marks the first time since Bangkok 2015 that Korea has failed to win the men’s recurve title.
Rahul, who secured silver, also had a standout tournament, defeating Korea’s Seo Mingi, a former World University Games champion, with an emphatic 6–0 win in the semifinals.
Men’s Team Gold: India Ends Korea’s 12-Year Streak
India completed its recurve dominance with a dramatic men’s team gold, with Atanu Das, Rahul, and Yashdeep Bhoge edging Korea in a tense shoot-off. After the teams tied 4–4 on set points, both sides shot 29 in the shoot-off, but India’s closest arrow secured the gold and ended Korea’s 12-year unbeaten run in this event.
The Korean women, however, salvaged pride by winning the women’s recurve team gold, defeating Chinese Taipei 6–0.
Strong Compound Showing Bolsters India’s Medal Tally
India’s compound archers also delivered a commanding performance, collecting five medals- including women’s individual gold and silver, women’s team gold, mixed team gold, and men’s team silver.
Jyothi Surekha Vennam stood out once again, claiming double gold in the individual and team categories.
Bangladesh, the host nation, made history of its own by winning two compound medals- a mixed team silver and an individual bronze- prompting the government to announce cash rewards for its medalists.
Also Read: Why Is Archery One Of The Oldest Yet Most Precise Sports?
Asian Archery Championships 2025: Indian medal winners
- Jyothi Surekha Vennam (women’s compound) – gold medal
- Dhiraj Bommadevara (men’s recurve) – gold medal
- Ankita Bhakat (women’s recurve) – gold medal
- Atanu Das, Rahul, Yashdeep Bhoge (men’s recurve team) – gold medal
- Abhishek Verma, Deepshikha (compound mixed team) – gold medal
- Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, Deepshikha (women’s compound team) – gold medal
- Rahul (men’s recurve) – silver medal
- Prithika Pradeep – (women’s compound) – silver medal
- Abhishek Verma, Sahil Jadhav and Prathamesh Fuge (compound men’s team) – silver medal
- Sangeeta (women’s recurve) – bronze medal
