The Indian archery team continued its consistent form in the continental circuit by finishing at the top of the medal standings at the Archery Asia Cup 2025 (Stage 2) in Singapore.
Competing with a squad composed entirely of Under-21 athletes, India claimed a total of nine medals 2 gold, 6 silver, and 1 bronze in a field that featured more than 200 archers from 21 countries at the Bukit Gombak Stadium.
The performance builds on India’s success at the first leg of the Asia Cup in Bangkok earlier this year, where the country topped the medal tally with eight medals including five golds. Despite a more competitive field in Singapore and close losses in multiple finals, the Indian contingent again emerged as the most successful team.
Gold Medal Winners: Kushal Dalal and Tejal Salve Lead the Way
India’s standout performer was Kushal Dalal, who secured his second consecutive Asia Cup gold medal in the men’s individual compound event. Dalal defeated Joshua Mahon of Australia in the final, scoring 149 to Mahon’s 143. His precision and composure under pressure mirrored his form from Bangkok, where he also secured a double gold.
In the women’s compound individual final, India was guaranteed a gold with an all-Indian final between Tejal Salve and Shanmukhi Naga Sai Budde. Salve edged Budde by a narrow 146-144 margin in a closely fought contest.
These victories marked India’s only gold medals in Singapore, with the team narrowly missing out in several other medal events.
Close Finishes in Team Events Yield Six Silvers
India reached the final in five of the six team events, demonstrating the depth and structure of the youth squad. However, the inability to convert these appearances into gold medals highlighted areas for improvement in finals temperament.
- In the compound mixed team, the pair of Kushal Dalal and Shanmukhi Budde lost 153-155 to Kazakhstan’s Adel Zhexenbinova and Andrey Tyutyun.
- The compound women’s team—comprising Budde, Salve, and Tanishka Nilkumar Thokal—was edged out by Malaysia in a shootoff. After a 232-232 tie, the match went to a three-arrow decider, where Malaysia triumphed 29-26.
- The compound men’s team of Dalal, Ganesh Thirumuru, and Mihir Nitin Apar also fell short, losing 231-235 to Kazakhstan.
India’s recurve teams had a similarly challenging day in the finals:
- In the mixed team final, Vishnu Choudhary and Vaishnavi Babarao Pawar were defeated 6-0 by Indonesia’s Arif Pangestu and Ayu Mareta Dyasari.
- The men’s recurve team of Choudhary, Paras Hooda, and Juyel Sarkar were also unable to mount a challenge, losing 6-0 to Japan.
Individual Bronze for Sachin Chechi
In addition to Dalal’s gold, India picked up another individual medal in the men’s compound event, with Sachin Chechi securing the bronze. Chechi edged Bangladesh’s Himu Bachhar 148-146 in the third-place match.
New U-21 World Record by Compound Women’s Team
Among the significant milestones of the event was the performance of the compound women’s team in the qualification round. The trio of Tejal Salve, Shanmukhi Budde, and Tanishka Thokal registered 2101 points, setting a new Under-21 world record in team qualification. They broke their own previous record of 2076 set in 2023, reaffirming their consistency in the ranking rounds.
Performance Summary: India at Archery Asia Cup 2025 (Singapore)
- Kushal Dalal- Gold medal Comp Individual M
- Tejal Salve- Gold medal Comp Individual W
- Shanmukhi Naga- Silver medal Comp Individual W
- Kushal Dalal and Shanmukhi Naga- Silver medal Compound Mixed team
- Shanmukhi Naga, Tejal Salve and Tanishka Thokal- Silver medal Compound team W
- Kushal Dalal, Ganesh Thirumuru and Mihir Nitin Apar- Silver medal Compound team M
- Vishnu Choudhary and Vaishnavi Pawar- Silver medal Recurve mixed team
- Vishnu Choudhary, Paras Hooda and Juyel Sarkar- Silver medal Men recurve team
- Sachin Chechi- Bronze medal Compound Individual M
Consistent Progress, But Finals Execution Still Lacking
While India’s success at the Asia Cup reflects an effective talent pipeline, the conversion rate in finals just 2 golds out of 7 gold medal matches is an area of concern. The young team has consistently reached medal rounds, but the narrow margins of defeat suggest more match experience and mental conditioning are needed in pressure situations.
The absence of senior archers like Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Deepika Kumari provided an opportunity for the next generation, and most delivered well. The performance in Singapore serves as further validation of India’s growing depth in compound archery, particularly at the junior level.
With two stages of the Archery Asia Cup now completed, Indian archers are expected to next compete in World Ranking Series events and national selection trials. Performances from events like these are likely to inform Asian Championship and World Cup selections later this season.
As India builds toward the 2026 Commonwealth Games and 2027 Asian Games, these tournaments provide crucial international exposure for the youth squad. Given the showing in Bangkok and Singapore, the future of Indian archery especially in the compound format looks promising.
India’s dominance at the 2025 Archery Asia Cup continues to be a story of emerging talent making a mark. The Singapore leg may have ended with some narrow defeats, but it also underscored the country’s rising competitiveness across all team and individual events.
