How Dhiraj Bommadevara scripted historic recurve Archery World Cup Final title

“From the start of the match until the very end, I kept one thing in mind: I had to fight right up to the final arrow, I did fight, and I am incredibly proud. I managed to achieve what I had worked so hard for, and I will continue to do so in the future,” Bommadevara told World Archery.

“It’s like a dream come true. Every athlete dreams of this – becoming a champion at events like the World Cup Final, Asian Games or the Olympics, and waving the national tricolour. That brings immense joy,” he added.

Post his heartbreakingly narrow second-round loss in the individual category and the fourth-place finish in the mixed team event along with Ankita Bhakat at Paris Olympics, Bommadevara saw a dip in form last year. His shooting average dropped from a career-high 9.51 to 9.37.

Resurgence in 2026

In a mediocre year, Bommadevara had his moments with a bronze medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in USA. This year, he has lost just three out of 16 matches, with the gold in Antalya marking his maiden World Cup title.

Dhiraj Bommadevara along with coach Sonam Tshering Bhutia after winning the title in Saltillo Archery World Cup Final in Mexico. Special Arrangement

A 7-3 win over Paris Olympics individual bronze and team gold medalist Lee Woo-seok shaped the title, and saw him ranked second behind Tokyo Olympics champion Mete Gazoz in the eight-player draw in Mexico. Bommadevara first defeated Tumer 7-1 before another 7-1 win over Valladont of France in the semi-finals. The final against Nakanishi saw the Indian trailing 1-3 and 3-5 before he won the fifth set 28-27 to tie the match, followed by his 10 as compared to the Japanese’s nine in the shoot-out.

With the competition happening at the Plaza de Armas, one of the main squares in the 1577-founded city, the Indian had to face winds. “Since there is no qualification in the World Cup Final, we had done some individual match simulation practice prior to coming here. With the best eight archers, there is hardly any room for error,” national coach Sonam Tshering Bhutia told The Indian Express from Mexico.

“The winds were blowing here from left to right with the left side open. So the focus was to aim towards the nine o’clock or nine’ o clock-ten position,” Bhutia added.

He acknowledged the pressure of competing against the top-ranked archers, stating that the wins against Tumer and Valladont, along with the shoot-off victory “will motivate Dhiraj further”.

With the Indian archery team departing last week for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Bommadevara will be heading straight to Japan from Mexico, with recurve competitions starting from September 26.

Last December, he had won the Asian Championships in Bangladesh with a win over compatriot Rahul Banerjee in the final. He had also won the mixed team title along with Kumkum Mahod in Antalya, where the pair had scored a 5-1 win over the reigning Olympic gold medallists Kim Je-deok and Oh Ye-jin of South Korea.

With Je-deok joined by his Paris gold-winning teammates Kim Woo-jin and Lee Woo-seok at the Asian Games, Bommadevara will face a stern Korean challenge in Japan. “Dhiraj’s strength has been his mental fortitude as well as the belief in his technical process. He is a fast-paced shooter and the bow draw and anchor comes at a speed for him. We have also worked on the finishing process. These three wins in a single day will give him a lot of confidence ahead of the Asian Games,” said Bhutia.