When 15-year-old Gatha Khadake from Solapur steps onto an archery range, she carries more than just a bow and arrows.
She carries the weight of an inspiring journey that began as a childhood hobby and has quickly blossomed into a path filled with international medals, national records, and the promise of a future that could transform Indian archery.
In an exclusive interview, Gatha opened up about her beginnings, the role of her family, her meteoric rise through the ranks, and the mindset that drives her to compete against some of the best in the world. Her story is one of quiet determination, mental strength, and a relentless focus on process over results a philosophy well beyond her years. Gatha’s journey began when she was just seven years old in her village near Solapur. A new archery academy for beginners had opened, and a suggestion from one of her father’s patients led her to give it a try. “I didn’t even know about archery,” she recalls. “I just went to try it, and gradually my interest increased.”
Her father, a doctor, believed archery would help improve her concentration, while her mother, an ophthalmologist, has been her unwavering pillar of support. “My mother drops out of her medical practice to travel with me for tournaments,” Gatha explains. “She stays with me everywhere I go.” With both parents being doctors, her entry into sports may have been unexpected, but their encouragement gave her the freedom to explore and excel.
Early Success on the Global Stage
Despite her youth, Gatha’s achievements already read like those of a seasoned professional. She has won two bronze medals at the World Youth Championships, and at the Nationals, she scored an impressive 686, a mark of her technical consistency. She also reached the pre-quarterfinals at the Senior World Championships in South Korea, and was the only Indian recurve archer across men and women to reach that stage of the competition.
Reflecting on her performances, Gatha remains strikingly composed. “I just focused on my shooting. I don’t focus on the score,” she says. “If you want to perform consistently, you have to focus on the process. When you are shooting, you can calculate the score after every shot, but I try not to think about it.”
Learning from the World’s Best
Gatha has already competed alongside legends like Deepika Kumari, a name synonymous with Indian archery. In national trials, Gatha faced Deepika in a close match that she led at several points. “Everyone thinks about winning,” she says, “but I didn’t pay much attention to that. I just focused on my shooting.” Her exposure to international competition, including matches against Korea one of the sport’s most dominant nations has shaped her understanding of what it takes to excel. “Archery is 95% a mental game,” she explains.
15-Year-Old Gatha Khadake Keeps India’s Hopes Alive at Archery World Championships
“The Koreans are very relaxed and know how to control themselves. They maintain their heart rate and shoot consistently, whether it’s windy or raining. That mindset makes them different.”
Gatha emphasizes that even though elite athletes seem composed, they feel pressure like everyone else. “They are humans too. They just know how to control it,” she says, offering a glimpse into the mental toughness she is working to develop.
The Grueling Selection process
At just 15, Gatha competes in selection processes and tournaments that would intimidate even the most experienced athletes. To earn a spot on the Indian team for events like the World Championships, she must navigate multiple ranking rounds, round-robin matches, and elimination duels. The trials begin with a large field sometimes 80 to 90 players in a single category gradually narrowing down to just four who represent India at the World Cup.
“There are ranking rounds, and the criteria changes every year,” she explains. “After each round, players are eliminated until only the best remain. By the end, every point matters.”
Gatha Khadake: India’s Teenage Archery Prodigy Poised to Redefine the Sport
In team events, the pressure is amplified by time constraints. Each archer must shoot within a limited window to avoid losing points, and the sequence of shooters is carefully planned. “If you shoot after time, the points are not counted,” she says. “Even if you are young, you have the same responsibility as your teammates. You can’t afford a single mistake.”
Despite her rapid rise, Gatha remains grounded in her life as a tenth-grade student at Mahatma Phule Vidyalaya in Solapur. Her favorite subject is science, and she dreams of reading books like Champion’s Mind to strengthen her mental game. She jokes that if she weren’t an archer, she might have been a swimmer, showing her natural affinity for individual sports. When asked about snacks before matches, her answer is refreshingly simple: “If I get time, then cold coffee.” Her favorite motivational quote reflects her relentless spirit: “Try harder, harder, and harder, till you win.”
Support and Recognition in her Journey
While Gatha is still at the beginning of her international career, she acknowledges the support she has received from the Indian government. “All our expenses for matches and travel are taken care of,” she says. “They do it in a very good way, so we don’t have any problems.” For a young athlete, such backing is crucial in ensuring she can focus entirely on her training and competitions. Gatha is among the youngest athletes supported by the Reliance Foundation and has a dedicated sports science and medicine team working with her.
At 15, Gatha is already looking toward a future that could span decades. With the Archery Premier League set to debut soon, she is excited to be one of its youngest participants, offering her another platform to gain experience and inspire fans. She also has her sights set on upcoming Asian Championships and, eventually, the Olympics. Her philosophy remains refreshingly process-oriented. “Everyone has equal responsibility,” she says. “It’s not like if my age is less, then even if I hit badly, I get excused. If we go there and play, we also have to shoot like our teammates.”
Gatha’s story is remarkable not only for her achievements but for the maturity with which she approaches the sport. While many athletes her age might be overwhelmed by expectations, she views each challenge as an opportunity to improve herself. “There is only one person I want to defeat,” she says with quiet confidence. “Myself.”
With her natural talent, supportive family, and unshakable focus, Gatha stands at the forefront of a new generation of Indian archers. Her journey from a village academy in Solapur to the world stage is proof that greatness often begins in the most unexpected places.
As she continues to train and compete, the young archer is not just chasing medals she is setting new standards for what is possible in Indian sport.
