Jadhav announces himself to the world stage with fine win at Rhine-Ruhr
Sahil Rajesh Jadhav was one point away from a perfect performance as his ruthless shooting took him to gold in the compound men’s final at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games.
The Indian edged Ajay Scott 149-148 in a contest that befitted a world championship medal match more than one at universiades level, such was the calibre.
Across the five ends, only three combined nines were shot by both archers in Essen, the pair displaying impeccable focus and accuracy. Jadhav dropped one, Scott two.
Their placement of arrows mirrored their historically efficient surroundings in one of Germany’s industrial heartlands.
Action in the second leg of the 2025 European Grand Prix in Arnhem concluded not long before Scott and Jadhav took to the iconic Zeche Zollverein stage and it couldn’t have been more different. The grouping of arrows was the least of concerns for archers in the Netherlands as they were made to puff and huff against a difficult wind to even land a shot in the red.
Ten-ring grouping though was a heightened component of Saturday’s match in the calmer conditions of Essen which makes the unlikely victory for Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil University student Jadhav that bit more impressive.
The 24-year-old archer has never managed to get on India’s extremely competitive senior compound team for any internationals and Rhine-Ruhr marked the first time he was able to represent his homeland proudly on the world stage.
He may not be going to the 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships in Gwangju, but he clasped the opportunity with both hands to showcase his talent that could yet see him land on the national team in the near future.
His teary eyes on the podium whilst singing the national anthem showed what it meant.
Jadhav’s consistency superseded Great Britain’s Scott, an archer in the ascendancy having won mixed team gold with compound women’s number one Ella Gibson at the second stage of the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai – and reached his first final four earlier this month at the fourth stage in Madrid.
Although the loss is a gutting one for the Brit considering he dropped 11 of his 10s in the X-ring, four more than Jadhav [seven Xs]. He couldn’t have performed much better.
Scott however – who won bronze in the compound mixed team on Friday – has plenty of time to regroup before the season’s pinnacle at Gwangju in September.
For Jadhav – a member of India’s men’s team silver medallists at Rhine-Ruhr – he returns to India as a very proud athlete, hoping that Saturday was only a mere taste of what his future could hold.
You can rewatch the finals from the 2025 University Games on archery+.
Winners: University Games 2025
- Recurve men: Tang Chih-Chun, Chinese Taipei
- Recurve women: Nam Suhyeon, Korea
- Compound men: Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, India
- Compound women: Moon Yeeun, Korea
