Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Dhiraj Bommadevara Wins Historic World Cup Final Gold
Dhiraj Bommadevara is an Indian archer who won a major gold medal in Mexico.
He competed in the men’s recurve event at the 2026 Archery World Cup Final.
In the final, he faced Japan’s Nakanishi Junya.
The match was very close and was tied after five sets.
Dhiraj then shot a 10 in a special shoot-off.
Nakanishi shot a nine, so Dhiraj won the title.
This made Dhiraj the first Indian man to win this event.
Dola Banerjee had previously been the only Indian individual champion at the event.
Dhiraj had competed in the 2023 and 2024 finals without winning a medal.
Dhiraj Bommadevara became the first Indian male recurve archer to win Archery World Cup Final gold.
The 25-year-old Army archer defeated Japan’s Nakanishi Junya 6-5 in Saltillo, Mexico.
After the five-set final ended 5-5, Bommadevara won the shoot-off 10-9.
He defeated Türkiye’s Berkim Tümer and France’s Jean-Charles Valladont 7-1 in earlier rounds.
The victory ended a 16-year wait since Jayanta Talukdar’s 2010 bronze and followed medal-less finals in 2023 and 2024.
- Who
- Indian archer Dhiraj Bommadevara defeated Japan’s Nakanishi Junya.
- What
- Bommadevara won the men’s recurve gold medal at the 2026 Archery World Cup Final, becoming the first Indian male recurve champion at the event.
- When
- Sunday at the 2026 Archery World Cup Final.
- Where
- Saltillo, Mexico.
- Why
- The final was tied 5-5 after five sets, and Bommadevara won the deciding shoot-off 10-9.
- Winner
- Dhiraj Bommadevara
- Event
- 2026 Archery World Cup Final
- Discipline
- Men’s recurve
- Final result
- Bommadevara defeated Nakanishi Junya 6-5 and won the shoot-off 10-9
- World ranking
- Bommadevara was ranked world No. 10; Nakanishi was ranked world No. 20
- Age
- 25
- Previous Indian men’s medal
- Jayanta Talukdar won bronze at the 2010 World Cup Final in Edinburgh
- Other Indian individual champion
- Dola Banerjee won the women’s title in Dubai in 2007
Sources
Dhiraj ends 16-year wait with historic archery gold
Dhiraj Bommadevara scripts history with Archery World Cup Final gold, becomes first Indian man to win title
Archery World Cup: India's Dhiraj Bommadevara Clinches Historic Men's Recurve Gold Medal
Dhiraj Bommadevara becomes first Indian man to win Archery World Cup Final