Archery in the National Games was conducted from 01st February to 7th February 2025 at the RGICS Ground, Rajat Jayanti Khel Parisar, Uttarakhand. Haryana was the most successful state.
The competition featured a total of 15 events across Recurve, Compound, and Indian round categories, showcasing exceptional talent and determination from athletes across the country.
While some favorites delivered expected victories, the competition also brought forth surprising wins, highlighting the remarkable depth and emerging talent in Indian archery.
Medal Summary
Recurve Events
Compound Events
Indian Round Events
Recurve Events
In the Recurve Men Individual category, Bommadevara Dhiraj from Services topped the qualification round with a score of 690, followed by veteran Tarundeep Rai and Juyel Sarkar.
However, in a shocking upset, Dhiraj lost to Jitender Rawat of Uttarakhand in the first round of the main draw, with a score of 3-7.
Tarundeep Rai made it to the semifinals but was defeated by Juyel Sarkar of West Bengal, who went on to win the gold by beating Indra of Services 6-4 in the final.
Sarkar’s victory, despite being an underdog, was a testament to his grit and determination.
In the Recurve Men Team event, Services, led by Dhiraj, topped the qualification round but faced an upset in the main draw when Jharkhand defeated them.
Jharkhand went on to win the gold against Uttar Pradesh in a closely fought match, while Services secured the bronze by defeating Haryana.
In the Recurve Mixed Team category, Maharashtra clinched the gold in a nail-biting match against Haryana, winning 4(19) – 4(18).
Jharkhand took the bronze by defeating West Bengal.
In the Recurve Women Individual category, Deepika Kumari of Jharkhand topped the qualification round with a score of 674, followed by her compatriot Komalika Bari with 667.
Anshika Kumari of Bihar and Gatha Khadake of Maharashtra were also notable performers in the event. Deepika reached the final after defeating Komalika in a tight 6-4 match, avoiding an all-Jharkhand final.
She claimed the gold by defeating Anshika Kumari of Bihar, while Komalika secured bronze by beating Gatha Khadake of Maharashtra with a similar 6-4 scoreline.
In the Recurve Women Team event, heavyweights Jharkhand advanced to the final by beating Haryana, setting up a match against Maharashtra, who defeated West Bengal in the semifinals.
Maharashtra dominated the final, defeating Jharkhand 6-0 to take gold, while Haryana beat West Bengal in a close match to win bronze.
Compound Events
In the Compound Men Individual category, Abhishek Verma of Delhi topped the qualification round, followed by Rishabh Yadav and Kushal Dalal of Haryana.
Hrithik of Jammu and Rajat Chauhan of Rajasthan emerged as key competitors in the main draw. The main draw featured several thrilling matchups.
Abhishek Verma lost in the pre-quarters to Ojas Deotale, a seasoned player, but it was Mani Ratnam of Andhra Pradesh who emerged as the surprise performer, sailing into the semifinals by defeating Ojas.
Mani eventually lost to Hrithik of Jammu in the semifinals. In the final, Rajat Chauhan of Rajasthan edged out Hrithik in a thrilling 144-143 match to win gold, while Mani Ratnam claimed bronze by defeating Kushal Dalal.
In the Compound Men Team event, second-seeded Delhi defeated top-seeded Haryana to clinch gold, while Rajasthan secured bronze.
In the Compound Women Individual category, without the presence of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, it was Aditi Swami of Maharashtra, the favourite, topped the qualification round, followed by Kumud of Delhi and Madhura of Maharashtra.
In the semifinals, Parneet Kaur of Punjab defeated Avneet Kaur in the top half, while Deepshika of Haryana beat Kumud in the bottom half. In the final, Deepshika claimed gold against Parneet Kaur, while Avneet Kaur secured bronze by defeating Kumud.
In the Compound Women Team event, Punjab defeated top-seeded Maharashtra to take gold, while Telangana won bronze against Delhi.
In the Compound Mixed Team category, Haryana defeated Andhra Pradesh 154-148 to win gold, while Punjab secured bronze by beating Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian Round Events
In the Indian Round Men Individual category, Manish of Uttar Pradesh won gold against his teammate Subham in an all-Uttar Pradesh final, while Adarsh Panwar of Uttarakhand claimed bronze.
In the Indian Round Men Team event, top-seeded Uttar Pradesh lived up to expectations by defeating Haryana in the final to take gold. Maharashtra secured bronze by beating Odisha.
In the Indian Round Women Individual category, LaiphrakpamDevi of Manipur struck gold, defeating Chandni Sahu of Chhattisgarh, who had earlier beaten top-seeded Nikita of Haryana in the pre-quarters. Manisha Kumari of Jharkhand took bronze.
In the Indian Round Women Team event, favorites Manipur defeated second-seeded Haryana to win gold, while Chhattisgarh claimed bronze by defeating Uttarakhand.
In the Indian Round Mixed Team event, Maharashtra emerged victorious, winning gold against Jharkhand, while Haryana took bronze.
Overall Medal Tally
Haryana topped the medal tally with 7 medals, including 4 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze. Maharashtra followed with 5 medals (3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), while Jharkhand secured third place with 6 medals (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze).
The National Games Archery competition revealed exceptional talents and significant upsets. India has a wealth of emerging talent ready to challenge seasoned performers and veterans. The National Games served as a perfect arena to showcase this phenomenon, reflecting the bright future of Indian archery.
