The FISU World University Games Universiade 2025 wrapped up in style, with India bagging a total of 12 medals. Among these, archery stood tall once again, contributing five medals, all in the compound category.
Archery has long been a reliable medal magnet for India at the Universiade, and Rhine-Ruhr 2025 only reinforced that legacy. In fact, after securing seven medals in Chengdu 2023 (including six in compound and one in recurve), this year’s performance reaffirms India’s dominance in the discipline.
Compound archery continues to be India’s strongest suit, be it at the Asian Games, World Cups, or University Games. Over the years, it has produced some of the most composed, accurate, and battle-tested athletes, capable of withstanding immense pressure and consistently hitting the mark when it matters most. Rhine- Ruhr witnessed the next wave of such archers, quietly announcing that the future of Indian archery is not only bright, it’s already making headlines.
Here are the medal winners:
Mixed Magic: Parneet & Kushal Strike Gold in Compound Mixed Team
Teaming up in the mixed team event, Parneet Kaur and Kushal Dalal delivered a near- flawless performance to win India’s first archery gold of the Games. The Indian duo overcame South Korea in a thrilling final, winning 157–154. After trailing slightly at the halfway mark, the pair rallied back with back-to-back 10s in the third and fourth ends. Both teams scored a perfect 40 in the final end, but India’s earlier surge helped seal the gold, showcasing remarkable team chemistry and composure.
Men’s Team Narrowly Misses Gold in Nail-Biter Final
The trio of Kushal Dalal, Sahil Jadhav, and Hritik Sharma showed excellent coordination and calm under pressure throughout the men’s team compound event. After storming into the finals, they led early on against Türkiye with a strong 117–114 advantage. However, Türkiye clawed back in the final stages with a flawless 10-point streak. India finished just one point short, losing 231–232, and settling for silver. Despite the close loss, the team’s performance reflected their strong medal potential at higher global stages.
Women’s Team Clinches Bronze in Style
In the women’s team compound event, the Indian trio of Parneet Kaur, Avneet Kaur, and Madhura Dhamangaonkar delivered a commanding performance in the bronze medal match. Facing a solid British side, the Indians maintained steady shooting across all ends, finishing with a comfortable 232–224 win. Their dominance from start to finish was a testament to India’s depth in women’s compound archery, and the bronze medal finish capped off a successful campaign for the women’s contingent.
Parneet Kaur’s Silver Shines in Women’s Individual
Parneet Kaur, already a well-established name after her Asian Games team gold, brought calm and consistency to the women’s compound field. She qualified at the top and confidently navigated through her elimination matches. In the final, she narrowly missed out on gold, losing 146–147 to South Korea’s Moon Yeeun, who gained a decisive edge in the third end. Despite the loss, Parneet’s precision and maturity were evident, further bolstering her status as one of India’s finest compound archers.
Sahil Jadhav’s Golden Breakthrough in Men’s Individual
Sahil Rajesh Jadhav gave another reason to rejoice after winning men’s individual compound gold medal in archery at the Universiade. Hailing from Satara, Sahil was making his international debut and stunned the field by topping qualifications and maintaining his form into the finals. In a high-voltage gold medal match, Sahil edged out Great Britain’s Ajay Scott 149–148, dropping only one non-10 arrow across five ends. Earlier in the semifinals, he had prevailed over teammate Kushal Dalal in a nerve-wracking shoot-off after both tied at 148, sealing the win with a perfect X-ring shot.
At the 2023 Chengdu edition, India bagged a total of 7 archery medals 6 in compound and 1 in recurve.
Fast forward to 2025 in Rhine-Ruhr, India secured 5 medals, all in the compound discipline. While the overall tally dipped slightly, the quality of wins and emergence of new names reflect greater bench strength and consistency in the compound field. With the inclusion of compound mixed team event in LA 2028, the gold winning performance by Parneet and Kushal gives all the fans hope of finally winning our first archery Olympic medal.
Nevertheless, there is also room to re-evaluate the strategy and the results in the recurve category, with it being a more prominent Olympic event.
