The Archery Asia Cup Stage 2, held in Bukit Gombak, Singapore from June 15 to 20, 2025, marked a significant outing for India’s next-generation archers.
With top senior names rested, the Indian Archery Federation fielded a young squad focused on gaining international exposure. While the team impressed with dominant performances in qualification rounds and secured multiple spots in the finals, a string of narrow losses at the final hurdle meant India returned with two individual gold medals, one bronze, and five silver medals—a respectable tally tinged with what-could-have-beens.
Individual Events: Breakthroughs and Bronze Lining
Recurve Men
India’s campaign in the recurve men’s section started strong. In the qualification round:
- Vishnu Choudary placed 3rd
- Paras Hooda 4th
- Juyel Sarkar 11th
- Mahesh Kumawat 20th
However, the knockout rounds proved challenging. Only Paras Hooda advanced to the quarterfinals, where he was stopped by Miyata of Japan. Despite early promise, no Indian reached the medal rounds.
Recurve Women
In the women’s recurve division:
- Vaishnavi Babarao Pawar led the Indian charge with a 7th-place finish
- Kirti came in 12th
- Tamanna and Srashti Vyas followed in 26th and 28th
Vaishnavi reached the quarterfinals, demonstrating poise under pressure, but fell just short of a semifinal berth.
Compound Men
The standout segment for India came in the compound men’s category. A commanding show in qualifications saw:
- Kushal Dalal top the table
- Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirmuru place 5th
- Apar Mihir Nitin finish 6th
- Sachin Chechi round off the top 10
Kushal Dala carried his qualification form into the main draw and emerged as India’s gold medalist, defeating Joshua Mahon in a thrilling final. Though Mahon had earlier eliminated Sachin Chechi in the semis, the Indian archer bounced back to take bronze, defeating Bangladesh’s Himu Bachhar in the playoff.
Compound Women
Another highlight came in the compound women’s section, where India dominated early:
- Shanmukhi Naga Sai Budde and Tejal Rajendra Salve ranked 1st and 2nd
- Tanishka Nilkumar Thokal came 5th
- Kumud Saini placed 23rd
The event culminated in an all-Indian final between Shanmukhi and Tejal. In a tightly contested match, Tejal Salve clinched the gold, adding another feather to India’s cap.
Team Events: Strong Starts, Painful Endings
India’s performance in team events mirrored a recurring theme dominance in qualifications, heartbreak in the finals.
Recurve Team Events
- The recurve men’s team advanced smoothly to the final but were blanked by Japan, settling for silver.
- The recurve women’s team bowed out in the quarterfinals, again at the hands of Japan.
- In recurve mixed, India made a spirited run to the final but were undone by a clinical Indonesia, taking home another silver.
Compound Team Events
- The compound men’s team, seeded first, made it to the final but were stunned by Kazakhstan, claiming silver.
- The compound women’s team, also top seeds, were outplayed by a strong Malaysian outfit in the final.
- In the compound mixed team, India reached the final as favorites but lost to 3rd-seeded Kazakhstan in another tense clash.
Despite being seeded top in all compound team categories, India failed to convert any into gold, exposing their vulnerability under final-stage pressure.
Key Takeaways
While India may rue the five silver medals, the bigger picture tells a more hopeful story:
- India topped qualification rounds in nearly every compound category, showcasing technical and mental readiness.
- Two individual golds from Kushal Dalal and Tejal Salve underscore the emergence of new stars.
- The tournament offered crucial international exposure to a young group that will form the core of India’s archery program heading into major events like the Asian Games and Paris 2028.
However, consistent inability to close out finals despite strong starts signals a need for structured high-performance mentoring and match temperament training. Experience in high-stakes matches remains a key developmental gap.
India’s campaign at the Archery Asia Cup Stage 2 was a tale of promise, growth, and painful near-misses. With a young contingent showing they can match the best in Asia, the next step will be translating potential into podium-topping consistency.
