CM Fadnavis Hails India's Archery Gold Hattrick at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis celebrated India's men's compound archery team — Sahil Jadhav, Kushal Dalal and Ganesh Thirumuru — winning gold at Asian Games 2026 with a nail-biting 238–237 win over China, marking India's third archery gold at the event and Jadhav's second personal gold.
Key Takeaways
India defeated China 238–237 in the men's compound team archery final at Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The trio — Sahil Jadhav, Kushal Dalal, and Ganesh Thirumuru — are affiliated with TAGG and delivered the win under intense pressure.
Sahil Jadhav claimed his second gold at the same edition of the Asian Games, a rare individual milestone.
This is India's third archery gold at the Asian Games 2026, continuing a strong run for the discipline at multi-sport events.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis highlighted the state's contribution and called the achievement 'truly inspiring.' India's archery performances at recent Asian Games editions signal a growing pipeline of medal-ready talent ahead of future Olympic cycles.
A 238–237 victory over China. One arrow's margin. And India's third archery gold at the Asian Games 2026. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took to X on Wednesday, 30 September 2026 to celebrate the men's compound team triumph, calling it a 'Golden HATTRICK' and singling out the Maharashtra connection at the heart of the win.
One Arrow Separates India and China in a Nervy Final
The margin could not have been tighter. India's compound trio — Sahil Jadhav, Kushal Dalal, and Ganesh Thirumuru — edged China 238–237 in the men's compound team final, a result that required exceptional composure from all three archers under the full weight of a gold-medal shoot-off. CM Fadnavis described the performance as a display of 'exceptional accuracy, focus and coordination under pressure' — and the scoreline backs every word of it.
Sahil Jadhav's Second Gold and Maharashtra's Moment
For Sahil Jadhav, this is a second gold at the Asian Games 2026 — a feat CM Fadnavis called 'a reflection of years of hard work, passion and dedication.' Jadhav is among the TAGG-affiliated athletes whose back-to-back gold medals at a single edition of the Games mark a significant personal milestone. Fadnavis was particularly emphatic about the Maharashtra dimension: 'Seeing a young talent from Maharashtra shine on the Asian stage is truly inspiring and a moment to cherish.' For a state that has invested steadily in grassroots sport, this podium moment carries weight beyond the medal itself.
India's Third Archery Gold — and a Discipline on the Rise
This compound team gold is India's third archery gold at the Asian Games 2026, underlining how far the discipline has travelled as a reliable medal pipeline for the country. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India had already demonstrated depth across archery formats, and the 2026 edition in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan is reinforcing that pattern. Archery now sits alongside wrestling and shooting as a sport where India can arrive at a major multi-sport event with genuine gold-medal expectations — not hope.
The broader significance is strategic. With each Asian Games cycle serving as a benchmark ahead of the Olympics, a compound team that can beat China by a single arrow in a final is a team that belongs on any stage in the world. The remaining archery events at Aichi-Nagoya — and India's overall medal tally — will be watched closely to see whether this hattrick of golds signals a sustained peak or a historic outlier.
Point of View
Not just participants. More broadly, India's third archery gold at a single Asian Games edition is a data point that administrators and selectors will use to argue for greater compound archery investment ahead of the next Olympic cycle. The one-arrow margin over China also reframes the rivalry in this discipline — India is no longer the underdog.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won gold in men's compound team archery at Asian Games 2026?
India's team of Sahil Jadhav, Kushal Dalal and Ganesh Thirumuru won gold in the men's compound team archery event at Asian Games 2026, defeating China by 238–237.
What was the score in the India vs China archery final at Asian Games 2026?
India defeated China by a single point — 238–237 — in the men's compound team archery final at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
How many archery golds has India won at Asian Games 2026?
India has won three archery gold medals at the Asian Games 2026, with the men's compound team event marking the third.
Why did CM Devendra Fadnavis congratulate the Indian archery team?
CM Fadnavis congratulated the team because Sahil Jadhav is from Maharashtra, making the gold a point of regional pride, and because the win represents India's third archery gold at the 2026 Asian Games.
Where are the Asian Games 2026 being held?
The Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
