In what turned out to be a selection trial full of surprises, India Archery squad for the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup Stage 4 in Madrid and the World Archery Championships in Gwangju will have a distinctly new look.
With some of India’s most decorated names failing to make the cut, a bold new generation has stepped in and how.
The trials, held recently in Pune, saw the unthinkable: Atanu Das, Abhishek Verma, Ojas Deotale, and Aditi Gopichand Swami athletes who’ve carried Indian archery’s reputation on the global stage all fell short. Instead, the door has opened for four debutants, three of whom are still in their teens, to step onto the senior world stage.
The Teenagers Stealing the Show
Among the biggest stories is 15-year-old Gatha Anandrao Khadake and 16-year-old Sharvari Somnath Shende, both of whom secured their place in India’s recurve women’s team. They’ll line up alongside Deepika Kumari, who topped the trials, and Ankita Bhakat.
Gatha wasn’t just good she was exceptional. Her qualification score of 686 was the highest among all recurve archers, men and women included. It took a seasoned Deepika Kumari to outshoot her in eliminations and finish atop the standings.
For Deepika, this wasn’t just about winning trials it was about seeing what’s next for Indian archery.
Gatha’s rise didn’t surprise those close to her. Coach Ranjeet Chamle, who has mentored her for 15 months, described her as a rare talent with a cool head in pressure situations.
She has beaten big names before at the National Games, she took down both Deepika and Bhajan Kaur in mixed and doubles events.
Both Gatha and Sharvari will also represent India at the 2025 World Archery Youth Championships making it a packed year for the rising stars.
Atanu Das Misses Out, Narrowly
On the men’s side, Atanu Das missed out by the slimmest of margins just 0.5 points, edged out by veteran Tarundeep Rai for the final spot. The team will now be led by Dhiraj Bommadevara, with Neeraj Chauhan and Rahul Singh completing the line-up.
For Das, the miss was painful.
“It felt like a year’s work gone to waste,” he said. Nursing a shoulder injury from the third stage of the World Cup in Antalya, he admitted the last few days had been mentally taxing. “Becoming world champion was always my target.”
Among the new faces is 20-year-old Rahul Singh, who called the selection a dream come true. Singh previously helped India win team gold and mixed silver at the 2024 Asian Youth Championships, and now gets his senior team break.
Shock in Compound: Deotale and Swami Out
Perhaps the most unexpected news came from the compound division, where reigning world champions Ojas Deotale and Aditi Swami failed to make the team. Abhishek Verma, a stalwart of Indian compound archery, also missed out.
But as the veterans exited, new names rose. Aman Saini, who had been out of the national spotlight since Paris 2022, topped the trials to book his return.
He’ll be joined by Prathamesh Fuge, Rishabh Yadav, and Priyansh making for an all-new men’s compound line-up.
On the women’s side, 16-year-old Prithika Pradeep joins Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Parneet Kaur, adding another teenage presence to India’s rejuvenated teams. Chikitha Taniparthi rounds out the compound women’s squad.
The Teams for Madrid and Gwangju
Here’s how the Indian team lines up for the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup Stage 4 and the World Archery Championships:
Recurve Men
- Dhiraj Bommadevara
- Neeraj Chauhan
- Rahul Singh
- Tarundeep Rai
Recurve Women
- Deepika Kumari
- Ankita Bhakat
- Gatha Anandrao Khadake
- Sharvari Somnath Shende
Compound Men
- Aman Saini
- Prathamesh Fuge
- Rishabh Yadav
- Priyansh
Compound Women
- Jyothi Surekha Vennam
- Parneet Kaur
- Prithika Pradeep
- Chikitha Taniparthi
A New Era Begins
With a fresh batch of archers preparing to take on the world, this selection marks a shift in Indian archery’s narrative. The future is here, and it’s young, ambitious, and fearless. The spotlight now turns to Madrid and Gwangju, where Indian archery’s new generation will be out to prove they belong on the global stage.
