Saltillo, September 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Dhiraj Bommadevara created history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian male archer to win the Archery World Cup Final in the men’s recurve division, edging Japan’s Nakanishi Junya in a tense shoot-off in Saltillo, Mexico.
The 25-year-old Army archer, ranked world No. 10, defeated world No. 20 Nakanishi 6-5 after the final was locked at 5-5 following five sets. With the title on the line, Dhiraj held his nerve to shoot a perfect 10 in the shoot-off, while Nakanishi managed a nine.
The closely fought final saw neither archer able to establish sustained dominance, with the set scores reading 28-28, 28-29, 29-28, 28-30 and 28-27.
Dhiraj’s breakthrough came in his third World Cup Final appearance. He had finished without a medal at the 2023 and 2024 editions but produced a composed run through the knockout stages this time before overcoming Nakanishi in the title clash.
His victory also marked a significant milestone for Indian men’s recurve archery. Jayanta Talukdar had won bronze at the World Cup Final in Edinburgh in 2010, but no Indian man had previously captured the season-ending event’s gold medal.
Dhiraj’s triumph also ended a 19-year wait for India’s next individual World Cup Final gold. Dola Banerjee remains the country’s only other individual champion at the event, having won the women’s title in Dubai in 2007.
Deepika Kumari continues to be India’s most decorated archer at the World Cup Final, with six medals — five silver and one bronze — from eight appearances.
For Dhiraj, however, Saltillo represented a breakthrough after two previous medal-less appearances and delivered the biggest title of his career, while establishing a new benchmark for Indian men’s recurve archery.
FOLLOW NOW
