From Curse to Crown – India’s Epic 2025
Gwangju/Dhaka: Imagine a nation holding its breath for eighteen years, waiting for a single arrow to find gold. Now imagine ten arrows, twenty, fifty—all hitting the mark, one after another, until the archery world is compelled to stand up and salute the tricolour. That is exactly what happened in 2025. This was not just India’s best year in archery; it was the year Indian archery seized the throne and refused to give it back.
The campaign began in September under the lights of Gwangju, South Korea, at the World Archery Championships. Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini, and Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge walked to the line knowing that no Indian men’s compound team had ever won world gold. They started cautiously, fell behind France, but then executed a comeback so precise, so unyielding, that the final arrow sealed a historic 235–233 victory. The scoreboard flashed something no one in the stadium had ever seen before: India on top of the world. The roar that followed was the sound of history being written.
Rishabh Yadav returned with Jyothi Surekha Vennam in the mixed compound final and narrowly fell 155–157 to the Dutch pair. Though silver, it carried the unmistakable promise of India’s rise. Every member of the men’s compound gold-winning trio also advanced to the individual quarterfinals, confirming that this was no one-off miracle but a sign of deep talent and preparation.
Two months later, Dhaka became the stage for the most dominant medal haul in Indian archery history. Ten medals, six golds. Records weren’t just broken—they were obliterated. After eighteen years of near misses, the men’s recurve team of Yashdeep Bhoge, Atanu Das, and Rahul ended the drought by defeating South Korea in a nail-biting final. The victory was more than a medal; it was the triumph of persistence, precision, and belief.
Individual recurve events also showcased India’s rising talent. Dhiraj Bommadevara won the men’s gold by outshooting teammate Rahul, while Ankita Bhakat staged a sensational upset, defeating Olympic silver medallist Nam Su-hyeon 7–3 to win India’s first women’s individual recurve gold at the Asian Championships. Sangeeta claimed bronze after a dramatic shoot-off with Deepika Kumari. Across recurve events, India secured three golds and one bronze—a sweep that few could have imagined just weeks before.
Meanwhile, the compound archers treated gold like their birthright. Jyothi Surekha Vennam edged 17-year-old Prithika Pradeep 147–145 to take the women’s individual title, then teamed with Prithika and Deepshikha to defend the women’s compound team title by the slimmest of margins, 236–234, over South Korea. In the mixed compound, Abhishek Verma and Deepshikha snatched gold from Bangladesh 153–151. The men’s compound team of Abhishek Verma, Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, and Prathamesh Fuge pushed Kazakhstan to the final arrow before settling for silver.
Counting them: six golds, three silvers, one bronze. From the world-beating men’s compound team gold in Gwangju to the recurve revolution in Dhaka, from seasoned veterans who refused to fade to teenagers who feared no one, every medal carried the same signature—unbreakable belief and precision under pressure.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it India’s finest hour in archery, a performance that would light a million young dreams. He was right. Somewhere tonight, a child in a small village is picking up a bow for the first time, aiming at a target painted with the colours of 2025.
India’s 2025 campaign reflects a maturing archery program. The combination of veterans like Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Atanu Das, and Abhishek Verma, alongside emerging stars such as Dhiraj Bommadevara, Prithika Pradeep, and Ankita Bhakat, demonstrates a deep pool of talent capable of sustained success at the highest levels. In recurve events, India earned three golds and one bronze, with victories for the men’s recurve team of Bhoge, Das, and Rahul, men’s individual (Bommadevara), and women’s individual (Bhakat), while Sangeeta took bronze. In the compound, the country collected three golds and two silvers. Jyothi Surekha Vennam took the women’s individual gold and, with Prithika and Deepshikha, defended the women’s team title. Mixed compound gold went to Abhishek Verma and Deepshikha, while Prithika Pradeep earned silver in the women’s individual event, and the men’s compound team of Abhishek, Sahil, and Prathamesh Fuge settled for silver. At the World Championships, Rishabh Yadav and Jyothi Surekha Vennam took silver in mixed compound. Altogether, India returned from 2025 with ten medals—six gold, three silver, and one bronze—marking the country’s finest archery campaign in history and signalling a new era of dominance.
The arrow has left the string. It is flying straight toward many more golden tomorrows.
– global bihari bureau
