The Asian archery season reaches its peak this week as the 24th Asian Archery Championships 2025 unfolds from 9–14 November in Dhaka, Bangladesh, bringing together a powerful field featuring Olympic medallists, world champions and rising continental stars.
With 207 archers from 29 nations competing across 10 events, the continental championships promise a high-intensity showdown between Asia’s historic powerhouses and a new generation of challengers eyeing breakthrough moments. For Bangladesh, hosting the championship is a milestone in itself. The National Stadium in Dhaka will see the country’s strongest-ever lineup, led by Abdur Rahman Ali, who made history earlier this year by becoming just the second Bangladeshi archer to win an Asia Cup title. Olympian Md Sagor Islam brings further weight to the home side. For a developing archery nation, competing in front of home support offers a rare chance to test themselves directly against Asia’s elite.
But the spotlight, naturally, falls on Asia’s heavyweights. And this time, the field is glittering.
Star Power Across the Field
One of the biggest names in Dhaka is Nam Suhyeon, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, who leads the lineup in recurve women’s individual. Korea, fielding a full-strength team of 16 archers, remains the gold standard in recurve archery and Dhaka is another opportunity for them to reinforce their continental dominance. The Koreans also bring along Lee Gahyun, the rising star who stunned the archery world earlier this season by defeating teammate Lim Sihyeon for the gold at the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai.
Recurve men’s competition features India’s Dhiraj Bommadevara currently ranked 21st in the world hoping to convert flashes of international promise into tangible continental success.
In compound, the rivalry landscape shifts. Unlike recurve, where Korea presides over unquestioned supremacy, compound archery has a more diverse competitive field with India, Chinese Taipei, and Kazakhstan all strong contenders for medals.
At the forefront stands Jyothi Surekha Vennam, world No. 2 and reigning Asian Games champion. Few archers have been more consistent in 2025 than Jyothi, who enters Dhaka on the back of a World Cup Finals bronze and a World Championships mixed team silver. Her objective is clear: improve the silver she won at the last Asian Championships and take home individual gold in Dhaka.
In the men’s compound field, Korea’s Choi Yonghee (world No. 8) anchors their challenge, while India’s Abhishek Verma (world No. 10) and Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge (world No. 16) aim to extend India’s continental streak.
Adding colour to the roster is Kazakhstan’s Andrey Tyutyun, ranked 32nd globally, returning to defend his medal from the 2023 edition in Bangkok.
India’s Ambitions: A Dual Track
For India, Dhaka presents a split narrative between their dominant compound program and their rebuilding recurve structure.
The last edition, held in 2023, saw India enjoy its best-ever continental performance in compound with three golds, three silvers and two bronzes topping the medal tally for the first time. This established India as a continental superpower in the discipline, ahead even of Korea. Many of the athletes who shaped that success return in Dhaka, now bolstered by newcomers selected through a more competitive domestic ecosystem.
At the centre of India’s compound campaign remains Jyothi Surekha Vennam. Her season has been decorated with podium finishes and consistency across windy, hot, and high-pressure international stages. But Dhaka is more than another tournament it’s a chance to reclaim continental gold. The women’s team structure has seen rotation since 2023; with Parneet Kaur not included this time, the newer squad featuring Chikitha Taniparthi, Deepshikha, and Prithika Pradeep will have to maintain the high scoring averages needed to stay ahead of Chinese Taipei, Korea, and Kazakhstan.
Their qualification consistency may determine whether India remains on top of the Asian women’s compound team hierarchy. The mixed team event, now elevated in importance after being added to the LA28 Olympic program, will again lean on Jyothi’s stability. Her partner possibly Prathamesh Jawkar or Prathamesh Fuge will be chosen based on ranking round performance. India enters as favourites, having set world-record form earlier this year.
In compound men, India’s lineup blends the calm experience of Abhishek Verma, the youthful hunger of Jawkar, and the sharp rise of Prathamesh Fuge, who recently helped India clinch a historic World Championship team gold. India settled for bronze in the 2023 Asian Championships but come to Dhaka with stronger momentum and higher ceiling.
Recurve: Stepping Into a New Cycle
Recurve, India’s Olympic discipline, lies at a different juncture.On the men’s side, Dhiraj Bommadevara leads the squad but is yet to deliver consistent finishes in high-pressure elimination rounds. Atanu Das, the veteran four-time Olympian, remains a stabilising presence and crucial anchor in team events. Youngsters like Yashdeep Bhoge and Rahul bring potential, but for India to challenge China, Japan, or Chinese Taipei, their qualification totals must rise.
In the women’s recurve field, Deepika Kumari commands attention. Her bronze at the 2025 Shanghai World Cup demonstrated her ability to beat top Koreans, but inconsistent follow-ups remain a concern. The team featuring Ankita Bhakat, Anshika Kumari, and Sangeeta aims for a repeat of the bronze India won in 2023. It is realistic but will require disciplined shooting and tight grouping in elimination matches.
The Competition Environment
The championship format follows World Archery standards:
•9 Nov – Qualification
•10–11 Nov – Individual & team eliminations
•12 Nov – Mixed team matches
•13 Nov – Compound finals
•14 Nov – Recurve finals
While qualification takes place at the National Stadium, medal matches shift to the Bangladesh Army Stadium—a change in wind, light, and backdrop that will test athletes’ adaptability.
Live coverage will stream on archery+ (finals only), with real-time scoring on World Archery’s platforms.
