From 2022 Glory to 2026 Challenge: How India’s Archery Team Has Changed for the Asian Games

India will head into the archery competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a squad that reflects both continuity and a changing generation. 

The results from the 2022 Asian Games showed just how dominant India can be in the compound events, while the 2026 selection brings several new names into the fold alongside some of the country's established performers.

The contrast is particularly interesting because India's 2022 campaign in Hangzhou produced a series of strong results, with the compound archers delivering gold medals across the men's individual, women's individual, men's team, women's team and mixed team events.

Four years later, some of those gold-medal-winning combinations have changed significantly.

Compound: Jyothi remains, and Ojas makes way for a new men's trio

The 2022 Asian Games were a landmark edition for Indian compound archery.

Ojas Deotale won the men's individual gold, defeating compatriot Abhishek Verma in the final. Rajat Chauhan and Prathamesh Jawkar were also part of India's men's compound contingent.

Deotale, Verma, and Jawkar then combined to win the men's team gold, while Jyothi Surekha, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur secured the women's team title. Jyothi also won the women's individual gold, defeating South Korea's Song Yujeong in the final, while Aditi Swami claimed bronze. India completed an extraordinary clean sweep in the mixed team event as Jyothi and Ojas won gold.

The 2026 squad looks considerably different.

Jyothi Surekha remains part of the women's compound team, but she will be joined by Chikitha Taniparthi and Priithika Pradeep. The men's team has also undergone a major change, with Kushal Dalal, Sahil Jadhav and T.G. Mani Ratnam named in the squad.

That means none of the three members of India's 2022 men's compound gold-medal-winning team feature in the 2026 men's team listed here.

For the women's side, Jyothi provides a direct link to India's success in Hangzhou. Her experience of winning individual, team and mixed team gold makes her one of the most important members of the 2026 contingent.

Recurve: More continuity in the men's team

The recurve squad presents a different picture. Dhiraj Bommadevara returns after featuring prominently in India's 2022 campaign and is joined by Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge in the 2026 men's individual squad. Dhiraj reached the quarter-finals in 2022, defeating Bhutan's Dorji and Bangladesh's Rubel before losing a tight quarter-final against Kazakhstan's Abdullin, 5-6.

The 2022 men's recurve team consisted of Atanu Das, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Tushar Shelke. The trio reached the final but lost to South Korea 1-5, earning India the silver medal. For 2026, Dhiraj remains the only member of that men's team in the listed squad. Atanu and Tushar have been replaced by Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge.

The change represents a transition, but Dhiraj's presence provides continuity and experience from the previous Asian Games cycle.

The women's recurve team has undergone a similar transformation. Ankita Bhakat, who was part of India's 2022 women's team, returns for 2026. She is joined by Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod.

In 2022, Ankita competed alongside Bhajan Kaur and Simranjeet Kaur. That team reached the semi-finals before losing 2-6 to South Korea, but bounced back to defeat Vietnam 6-2 and secure the bronze medal. The 2026 squad therefore retains Ankita while introducing two new names into the team.

Her experience from the 2022 campaign could prove valuable as India attempts to improve on its previous bronze-medal finish.

The biggest question: Can the new generation replicate 2022?

The 2022 results created an exceptionally high benchmark. India won five gold medals in compound archery, including individual titles for Ojas and Jyothi and team golds in the men's, women's and mixed events. The recurve teams also contributed a silver and bronze.

The 2026 squad will therefore enter the competition carrying expectations created by that success.

But the composition of the team makes direct comparisons difficult. Ojas, Abhishek, Prathamesh, Aditi and Parneet are absent from the 2026 compound line-up shown in the squad list, while the likes of Kushal, Sahil, Mani Ratnam, Chikitha and Priithika will have the opportunity to establish themselves on the Asian Games stage.

Jyothi is the notable exception and could be central to India's hopes of maintaining its dominance in compound archery.

In recurve, Dhiraj and Ankita provide links to the 2022 medal-winning teams, while the inclusion of Neeraj Chauhan, Yashdeep Bhoge, Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod gives India a newer look.

The 2026 Asian Games will therefore be less about defending the exact teams that succeeded in 2022 and more about seeing whether India's depth can produce another generation of medal winners.

The 2022 campaign demonstrated the strength of India's compound programme, while the recurve results showed that the country could compete for medals even against traditionally dominant nations such as South Korea.

Aichi-Nagoya will provide a different test.

The experienced Jyothi and Dhiraj will carry memories of the previous Asian Games, while several teammates will be competing at this level with the opportunity to create their own legacy.

Four years after India's archers produced one of their most successful Asian Games campaigns, the names have changed.

The expectations have not.