India archery squad for 2026 Asian Games: Dhiraj, Ankita lead; Deepika, Atanu miss out
Synopsis
India's archery selectors have gone with form over fame — dropping Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das, Ojas Deotale, and Abhishek Verma for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. The omissions are striking given that all four were Asian Games medallists, but trial results were decisive. A youthful squad now carries the weight of defending India's nine-medal archery haul from Hangzhou.
Key Takeaways
Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das have been dropped from India's 2026 Asian Games archery squad after finishing fourth in selection trials.
Dhiraj Bommadevara , Ankita Bhakat , and Jyothi Surekha Vennam headline the selected contingent for the Games in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, Japan ( 19 September – 4 October 2026 ).
Neeraj Chouhan earned his place after setting a national record of 692/720 at the National Archery Championships, surpassing Tarundeep Rai's previous mark.
Compound medallists Ojas Deotale (gold) and Abhishek Verma (silver) from the Hangzhou Asian Games were also omitted after finishing fifth and outside the selection cut, respectively.
3 Jyothi Surekha Vennam anchors the women's compound team after winning three gold medals at the 2023 Asian Games.
India won nine medals — five gold, two silver, two bronze — in archery at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games .
The Archery Association of India (AAI) has named its squads for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, with veteran archers Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das failing to make the cut after finishing fourth in the selection trials. Dhiraj Bommadevara, Ankita Bhakat, and Jyothi Surekha Vennam headline a youthful but experienced Indian contingent set to compete in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya from 19 September to 4 October 2026.
Recurve Selections: Youth and Form Over Seniority
The Indian men's recurve team will be led by Dhiraj Bommadevara, who claimed a silver medal in the team event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and now enters his second successive Asian Games campaign. He will be joined by Neeraj Chouhan — currently in outstanding form after setting a new national record of 692/720 in the Men's Recurve event at the National Archery Championships, surpassing Olympian Tarundeep Rai's previous mark — and Yashdeep Bhoge, who won gold for India at the Asian Archery Championship in 2025.
In the women's recurve category, Ankita Bhakat, the 27-year-old archer from Kolkata, will be accompanied by teenager Kumkum Anil Mohod and Kirti Sharma. Bhakat and Kumkum were part of the Indian team that won a bronze medal in the team event at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022.
Notably, Deepika, Kumkum, and Ankita together formed the Indian trio that claimed a historic gold medal in the women's team event at Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai earlier this month, upsetting home favourites China in the final. The same trio had also defeated 10-time Olympic gold-medal-winning nation Korea by a 5-1 margin in the preceding round — a result that underscored India's growing depth in recurve archery.
Compound Omissions: Ojas and Abhishek Left Out
The compound selections produced the biggest surprises of the announcement. Ojas Deotale — the defending Asian Games champion who won gold in the compound men's event at Hangzhou — finished fifth in the selection trials and has been left out. Abhishek Verma, who claimed silver at the same Games, also missed the cut. In their place, the AAI has chosen Sahil Jadhav, Kushal Dalal, and Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam for the men's compound team.
On the women's side, World No. 3 Jyothi Surekha Vennam retains her place as the anchor of the compound team. Vennam delivered a remarkable triple-medal haul at the 2023 Asian Games, winning gold in the individual, team, and mixed compound events. She will be supported by Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep.
India's Asian Games Archery Legacy
India arrived at these selections on the back of a stellar Hangzhou Asian Games 2022 campaign, where the country bagged nine medals — five gold, two silver, and two bronze — in archery. The pressure to defend that haul is considerable, and the AAI's decision to prioritise form and trial results over reputation signals a merit-first approach heading into Nagoya 2026.
World Cup Duty Before the Games
The selected squads will also represent India at World Cup Stage 3 in Antalya, Turkiye in June and World Cup Stage 4 in Madrid, Spain in July — providing crucial competitive preparation ahead of the Asian Games. Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das, despite missing the Games squad, have been included in the World Cup Stage selections.
Full Indian squad for the 2026 Asian Games:
Recurve Men: Dhiraj Bommadevara, Neeraj Chouhan, Yashdeep Bhoge.
Recurve Women: Kirti Sharma, Kumkum Anil Mohod, Ankita Bhakat.
Compound Men: Sahil Jadhav, Kushal Dalal, Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam.
Compound Women: Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep.
Point of View
Uncomfortable call — but the AAI's insistence on trial results over reputation is the right structural precedent. Indian archery has long struggled with selection politics; a merit-only framework, if consistently applied, is the kind of institutional discipline that builds depth over time. The harder question is whether the compound omissions of Ojas Deotale and Abhishek Verma — both defending Asian Games medallists — reflect genuine form or a selection process that needs independent scrutiny. With nine medals to defend in Nagoya, the margin for error is slim.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das dropped from India's 2026 Asian Games archery squad?
Both Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das finished fourth in the selection trials conducted by the Archery Association of India and thus did not qualify for the Asian Games squad. Despite their experience and recent World Cup performances, the AAI applied trial results as the decisive criterion.
Who will lead India's archery team at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan?
Dhiraj Bommadevara leads the men's recurve team, Ankita Bhakat is a key figure in the women's recurve side, and World No. 3 Jyothi Surekha Vennam anchors the women's compound team. The Games are scheduled from 19 September to 4 October 2026 in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan.
Why were Ojas Deotale and Abhishek Verma left out of the compound team?
Defending Asian Games champion Ojas Deotale finished fifth in the selection trials, while Abhishek Verma also failed to make the cut. The AAI opted for Sahil Jadhav, Kushal Dalal, and Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam in their place based on trial performance.
What is Neeraj Chouhan's claim to the Asian Games squad?
Neeraj Chouhan set a new national record of 692/720 in the Men's Recurve event at the National Archery Championships, surpassing the previous record held by Olympian Tarundeep Rai. His form in the trials earned him a place in the men's recurve team alongside Dhiraj Bommadevara and Yashdeep Bhoge.
How many medals did India win in archery at the last Asian Games?
India won nine medals — five gold, two silver, and two bronze — in archery at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. The 2026 squad faces the challenge of defending that haul in Nagoya, Japan.
