Dhiraj made history as the first Indian archer to win the World Cup
Dhiraj Bommadevara produced a breakthrough performance on Sunday to become the first Indian archer to win gold in a World Cup final after holding his nerve in a thrilling shootout against Japan’s Nakanishi Junya.
The 25-year-old army archer, ranked 10th in the world, defeated the 20th Japanese 6-5 in a thrilling five-set final before sealing the title 10-9 in a shootout. The win also ended a 16-year wait for an Indian men’s archer to win a medal at the prestigious season-ending event.
Dhiraj returned empty-handed from the 2023 and 2024 editions. However, this time he arrived in form and carried that momentum to the title.
THE FINALE OF THE ENCHANTMENT OF THE NEHH
The gold medal clash was anything but straightforward. Nakanishi, fresh from knocking out Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz in his semi-final, started strongly and immediately put Dhiraj under pressure.
The Japanese archer dropped just three points from his opening six arrows to take a 3-1 lead. Dhiraj responded with a composed third set, shooting 29 to level the match at 3-3.
Nakanishi then produced a perfect fourth set with three arrows to move ahead 5-3. He only needed a close fifth set to become the champion.
Dhiraj refused to let the opportunity slip away.
Under immense pressure, the Vijayawada archer held his nerve and dropped just two points in the deciding set. Nakanishi, meanwhile, faltered with a 27, forcing the final into a shootout at 5-5.
Dhiraj then played when it mattered most, scoring a perfect 10. Nakanishi could only manage 9, handing India a historic World Cup finals title.
TWO GOLD WINS
Dhiraj opened his campaign against Turkey’s Berki Tumer in the quarter-finals and immediately made an emphatic statement as he won 7-1 without dropping a set.
He opened with a 28-25 win before producing two 10s and 9s in the second set to move 4-0 ahead. A 28-all third set was enough for him to advance to the semifinals.
His next opponent was French Rio Olympic silver medalist Jean-Charles Valladont. Dhiraj again controlled the match and won 7-1.
Valladont was able to level the second set at 28-all after Dhiraj took the opening set, but the Indian responded with two near-flawless sets, dropping just two points over the last six arrows to seal his place in the final.
It was a significant turnaround from his first World Cup final in Hermosillo in 2023, when Dhiraj also reached the semi-finals but lost the bronze play-off.
END OF INDIA’S LONG WAIT
Dhiraj’s triumph goes beyond his individual achievement. Jayanta Talukdar was the last Indian archer to win a World Cup final medal, winning bronze in Edinburgh in 2010.
Dhiraj is now even better and has become the first Indian archer to win the coveted title.
Dola Banerjee remains the only other Indian woman to have won an individual gold in a World Cup final when she claimed the women’s title in 2007. Deepika Kumari has the most World Cup final medals among Indian women, with five silver and one bronze from eight appearances.
ANOTHER JAPAN
Dhiraj will have little time to celebrate.
He is now heading straight to Japan for the Asian Games, where he will lead India’s recurve campaign. He made a quarter-final appearance at the Hangzhou edition, but came home with team silver.
This time it comes with something more valuable than momentum. Dhiraj goes to the Asian Games as a World Cup Final winner having already rewritten the history of Indian recurve archery.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
14 Sep 2026 01:16 IST