Actualités

Kumari, Das and Deotale miss out as India names Asian Games squad

22 mai 2026

Sonipat, India

Vrai nom:

India has named a new-look, youthful and promising squad for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games following the conclusion of the national selection trials in Sonipat.

The four-day trials also determined India’s teams for stages three and four of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya and Madrid.

Reigning Asian Games gold medallist Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Olympians Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat are set to lead the Indian side in Japan, while experienced names including husband-and-wife pair Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das, as well as Abhishek Verma and Ojas Pravin Deotale, missed out on Asian Games selection.

However, former world number one Kumari and Das retained their places in the World Cup squads. The top three archers in each category qualified for the Asian Games, while the top four earned selection for the World Cups.

“The trials were very competitive and I believe the squad is strong enough to fight for podium finishes at the Asian Games,” said Das.

“For me, it was a little challenging because I have been recovering from a shoulder injury over the last two to three months, but I fought until the very last arrow of the selection trials,” added the world number 21 recurver. “In the end, I secured spots for two World Cups, which is not bad at all.”

An archer checks her arrows at the target

The omission of Verma and Deotale was particularly notable, with both having played key roles in India’s compound success at major events, including the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.

World number three Vennam, who won three gold medals in Hangzhou, will compete at her fourth Asian Games alongside youngsters Taniparthi Chikitha and Prithika Pradeep.

The 20-year-old Chikitha is the compound U21 world youth champion from Winnipeg 2025, while Pradeep claimed silver in the U18 category at the same event.

The 17-year-old Pradeep was also part of India’s medal-winning compound women’s team at the Dhaka 2025 Asian Championships and the Madrid stage of the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup.

“To be well prepared and to give my 100% in every tournament I compete in,” Vennam had previously told World Archery.

In the compound men’s line-up, Rhine-Ruhr 2025 World University Games individual gold medallist Sahil Rajesh Jadhav retained his place following appearances at the first two World Cup stages.

Youngsters Kushal Dalal and Ganesh Thiru Muru – both members of India’s compound U21 men’s team gold-medal-winning squad at Winnipeg 2025 – secured the remaining spots.

The recurve women’s category produced one of the biggest surprises of the trials, with world number 199 Kirti finishing top of the standings.

Kirti, who was part of India’s recurve women’s team that won bronze at the Bangkok 2026 Asia Cup, finished fourth in qualification before producing a string of impressive victories in the round-robin stage.

The 19-year-old will be joined in Nagoya by fellow teenager Kumkum Anil Mohod and Bhakat – both members of India’s recurve women’s team that won gold at stage two of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai.

“The trials were challenging and I really had to push myself to the limit,” said world number 20 Bhakat. “The juniors delivered a great performance and showed strong potential. I now have the responsibility to guide the team, and I am ready to lead them at the biggest event of this year.”

India’s recurve men’s team will feature one change, with Neeraj Chauhan coming into the line-up, while Bommadevara and debutant Yashdeep Bhoge retained their places in both the World Cup and Asian Games squads.

At Hangzhou 2022, India’s compound archers produced a historic clean sweep by winning all five gold medals on offer, while the recurve teams added one silver and one bronze.

With several young names now stepping into the spotlight, attention will turn to whether India’s next generation can continue that momentum in Nagoya and deliver on one of Asia’s biggest stages.