New Delhi, Dec 1 (NationPress) Rajat Chauhan, an esteemed compound archer and recipient of the Arjun Award, has tied the knot with fellow archer Swati Dudhwal in a grand ceremony held in Jaipur. Both athletes have garnered numerous accolades for Rajasthan and India, showcasing their exceptional skills in archery and elevating the pride of their state and nation.

The wedding festivities were marked by traditional elegance. The couple’s wedding procession was attended by many prominent archers, which made the event even more special.

A constellation of archery luminaries, including Olympians Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai, and champions Rahul Banerjee, Jayanta Talukdar, Ojas Deotale, Aditi Swami, Prathamesh Fuge, Prathamesh Jawkar, among others, gathered to celebrate this joyful union.

Chauhan, who also serves as Deputy Superintendent of Police in Rajasthan, has an impressive medal tally including an Asian Games silver medal and an individual silver at world championships, alongside two gold, two silver, and three bronze medals at the World Cup.

This year, Chauhan, along with teammates Aman Saini and Abhishek Verma, achieved remarkable success, winning both of their matches at the Archery World Cups, culminating in a 232-230 victory against France in the men’s team compound event final. At the 38th National Games in February, he showcased his prowess by winning the men’s individual event.

Swati has also made her mark in the sport, securing gold at the World Archery University Championships and bronze at the World Archery Youth Championships and the Asian Grand Prix Circuit.

Earlier this year, Swati claimed a bronze medal in the senior category at the Khelo India Women’s National Ranking Archery Tournament in Bhopal.

On a different note, Chauhan's aspirations for the Olympics are edging closer to reality as compound archery is set for its Olympic debut at the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Games. In 2016, he even commemorated this dream with a tattoo of the iconic five Olympic rings on his right arm.

For the first time, a medal for compound archers will be awarded at the 2028 Olympic Games, following the International Olympic Committee’s announcement of the inclusion of the compound mixed team event in the archery program in Los Angeles.

This mixed team event adds to the five existing recurve categories: men’s and women’s individual, men’s and women’s team, and mixed team, bringing the total number of archery medals to six.

This marks the first addition of a new bow style since archery was reintroduced to the Olympic Games in 1972.

Archery made its Olympic comeback in 1972 with recurve men’s and women’s individual events. The team competitions were introduced in 1988, and the recurve mixed team medal debuted at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The inclusion of the mixed team format for compound archery ensures that gender equality and athlete quotas are preserved in Los Angeles.