Stories
Dhiraj Leads India's Archery Charge in Aichi-Nagoya for LA28 Quotas and Medals
- •India's archers, led by Dhiraj Bommadevara, aim to surpass their nine-medal haul from Hangzhou at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with LA28 Olympic quotas at stake.
- •Dhiraj Bommadevara, fresh from a World Cup Final triumph, leads the recurve team, having previously beaten Korean archer Kim Woojin.
- •Six LA28 Olympic quota places are available: two each in men's and women's individual recurve, and one each for recurve mixed team and compound mixed team champions.
- •The women's recurve team, including Ankita Bhakat, enters with confidence after winning World Cup gold in Shanghai, defeating Korea and China.
- •Despite the absence of some Hangzhou stars, India's compound team, led by veteran Jyothi Surekha Vennam, is confident of replicating their five-gold sweep, showcasing the depth of Indian archery talent.
Key Questions Answered
There are six LA28 Olympic quota places available at the Asian Games. Two places each are on offer in the men's and women's individual recurve events, while the recurve mixed team and compound mixed team champions earn one quota place apiece.
Dhiraj Bommadevara became the first Indian male recurve archer to win the season-ending World Cup Final title after a triumph in Saltillo. He also secured a landmark individual gold medal at the Antalya World Cup and won the 2025 Asian Archery Championships title.
Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari and several other established names missed out on the Asian Games squad after finishing fourth in the selection trials, as younger archers performed better. This selection outcome highlighted India's growing depth in the sport.
