When Aman Saini draws his bowstring, time appears to pause. The focus in his eyes, the stillness of his body, and the smooth release that follows speak of a man who has lived every moment of his 17-year archery journey with patience, faith, and precision.
Now a world champion and one of the leading faces of Indian compound archery, Saini’s story is not one of overnight triumph but of endurance a steady aim through uncertainty, heartbreak, and reinvention.
From Wooden Bows to World Gold
Saini’s journey began in 2008 with a humble wooden bow, a start many young Indian archers of that era shared. “My first tournament was with a wooden bow,” he recalls. “Then I saw Compound Archery in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. My coach suggested I try compound, and that’s how my journey began.”
That decision changed his life. But it also set him on a path filled with challenges. Facilities were scarce, resources limited, and sponsorship nearly non-existent. “There was no Khelo India or TOPS back then,” he says. “Everything depended on family and coaches.”
His first medal came six years later, in 2014 a testament to his belief that patience is not passive waiting but persistent effort. “It took me six years to win a medal. That’s why my patience level is still there,” he says, smiling. “I never think it didn’t happen, so when will it happen? I just keep working toward the goal until I achieve it.”
India’s Technical Revolution in Archery
Those early struggles coincided with a quiet revolution in Indian archery. “When I started, there was not so much knowledge,” Saini explains. “Now we have sports science, psychologists, nutritionists, biomechanics — all this is boosting us.”
That scientific support, he says, helped him return to the national team and strengthen both body and mind. “Sports science gave me a lot of support in my comeback. It’s helped us reach a level where India’s compound team is ranked world number 1.”
Indeed, India’s rise in compound archery has been dramatic. From being seen as an offshoot of recurve, compound has become India’s powerhouse winning more medals than any other discipline. “Eighty-five to ninety percent of our medals come from compound,” Saini points out. And with the mixed team discipline set to debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, he sees this as the breakthrough moment compound archers have long awaited. “The news that compound will be at the Olympics it’s huge,” he says. “It’s going to boost our sport in ways we’ve never seen before.”
He acknowledged that being part of the Reliance Foundation and their support to the Archers has been exceptional and its only growing which will make it better in the future.
Understanding the Compound
Saini is meticulous in explaining the technical artistry of compound archery. “Recurve is more traditional 70 percent manual, the rest equipment-based. Compound is the opposite,” he says. The bow’s pulley system allows for controlled poundage and precision, but it also brings physical demands: “A compound archer pulls 28 kilos, around 400 times a day. My bow weighs 5–6 kilos itself.”
Yet technology alone doesn’t define success. “Seventy percent of compound archery is based on equipment,” he says, “but it’s the remaining 30 percent focus, rhythm, and mental strength that makes the difference at the elite level.” The defining moment of Saini’s career arrived in 2025, when India’s men’s compound team won gold at the World Championships the nation’s first in the event. “That atmosphere was unforgettable,” he says. “We had trained for two months with one combination, but the weather forced us to change it on match day.”
In the quarterfinal against Australia, India trailed early. “We were behind by two points,” he recalls. “Our coach said, ‘Do it, it’ll be good.’ So we experimented. Rishabh ran first, then me. We went into a tiebreaker they hit 58, we hit 60. That gave us the boost. After that, we didn’t stop.”
India went on to win the final, sealing an emotional victory that resonated across the Indian sports landscape. “It was a proud moment,” he says softly. “For us, for our families, for the audience that’s started believing in compound archery.”
Weather, Wind, and Willpower
While archery might seem a still sport, nature is its invisible opponent. “Weather affects everything,” Saini explains. “In Sonipat during trials, the wind was so bad that even big names couldn’t make the Asian team.”
He describes how small adjustments let-off, poundage, or even bow setup can decide outcomes. “If I aim at the center and the wind stops, the arrow can go to 7. That’s how unpredictable it is,” he says. “You have to sense the rhythm of nature.” Time pressure adds another dimension. “When only 15 seconds are left and you’re shooting the last arrow, it’s a lot of pressure,” he admits. “But I always tell myself I have to shoot something, not take zero. We have marks starting at 5 rings, it’s better than nothing. If I miss, it’s God’s plan.”
The Comeback Story
Perhaps the most inspiring part of Saini’s story is his comeback. After a long spell out of the national team, he returned not just to compete but to conquer. “A lot of people thought I was at home,” he says, “but I was always working.” The setbacks began in 2019, when the Indian team had to return from the airport amid political tension over a Pakistan visa issue. Then came COVID-19. “We came back from the airport again in 2021. I was in team dress, ready to go, and then we got the news the team isn’t going.”
He was later selected for the Asian Games 2022 only for the event to be postponed. “That was hard. But I didn’t stop. I kept practicing, joined my job, and focused on improving technically. I realized I was behind technically, not mentally.”
By 2023, everything clicked. He made the national team again, medaled at the World University Games (three medals, including a gold in mixed team), and then achieved world champion status.
There’s one more twist his marriage. “After getting married, I left for Dehradun the next day for the National Games,” he laughs. “And I won gold there too.” That blend of humor and hunger defines him. “I wasn’t idle; I was waiting for the right click,” he says. “The things that were missing for two-three years finally came together.”
Rituals, Reflection, and Routine
Saini’s daily discipline is as sharp as his arrows. “Every match day, I wake up early and visualize the entire day in 15 minutes,” he says. “How I’ll go to the ground, how I’ll shoot, how I’ll win, how I’ll come back. Then I meditate.” Visualization and meditation, he says, help calm his nerves and bring focus. “It’s not superstition it’s my way of feeling the day before it happens.”
When asked about his favorite cheat meal after a big win, he laughs: “That takes time. But yes, Delhi has many such places,” he grins, refusing to name one.
Taekwondo to Archery, the Athlete Within, not many know Saini began as a taekwondo athlete. “I used to play taekwondo,” he says. “I even won a DT Fresh Face title.” A broken hand in 2008, however, changed the course of his life pushing him toward archery, where the same sense of balance, rhythm, and timing would find new meaning.
“Taekwondo is also doing well now,” he says fondly. “That sport gave me my athletic base.”
Ask him about his favorite teammate, and he doesn’t hesitate: “Raja Chauhan,” he says. “People sometimes confuse him with being the comedian Rajat Chauhan, he’s one of the most hardworking guys.”
If he could choose any global archer as a mixed-team partner? “Ella Gibson from Britain,” he answers. “She’s phenomenal.”
His dream venue? “Every venue where we win together,” he smiles. “But the World Championship was special.”
Saini speaks with conviction when the discussion turns to India’s potential as a host nation. “We don’t do enough tournaments on home soil,” he says bluntly. “That’s why we lag in the Olympics. If you don’t create the environment here, how will you perform abroad?”
He cites China’s example, where athletes train in simulated Olympic finals. “In China, they create an exact replica of the Olympic venue lighting, audience, pressure. We should do that too.” He believes that Archery Premier League (APL), which debuted in October, can help change perceptions. “It’s the first time globally that India has done something like this. It’s a good way for Indian archery to evolve,” he says. “We’re hoping it’s a big success.”
The Future and the Focus
For Aman Saini, every setback has been a setup for a comeback. His journey mirrors the transformation of Indian archery itself from underfunded and under-noticed to globally respected. He embodies what it takes to succeed in a sport that demands stillness amid chaos. “If you get selected in the Indian team, it’s easy to win medals abroad,” he says, half-jokingly but with truth. “Because the competition within India is already so high.”
As the world prepares for Los Angeles 2028, where compound archery (Mixed Team) will finally make its Olympic debut, Saini and his teammates will carry the hopes of a nation that has quietly mastered precision.
“I’ve seen archery transform,” he says, looking back at 17 years of his life. “From wooden bows to high-tech compounds, from no support to sports science, from obscurity to the world stage. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and I know there’s a lot more to hit.”
