India Eyes Strong Finish to Archery World Cup Season as Madrid Stage Offers Final World Cup Final Berths
The Indian archery team heads into the Hyundai Archery World Cup Stage 4 in Madrid carrying both momentum and expectation as the final leg of the World Cup season gets underway from July 7 to 12 in Spain.
The tournament is far more than just another World Cup stop. For many archers, it represents the last opportunity to qualify for the World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico, while also serving as India's final major international event before attention shifts to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this year. With 392 archers from 51 countries set to compete, Madrid promises six days of world-class competition where every ranking point and podium finish could prove crucial.
India has once again opted for a healthy blend of seasoned campaigners and exciting youngsters across both recurve and compound disciplines. The recurve squad continues to be spearheaded by Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara, while experienced duo Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das return for the World Cup despite narrowly missing selection for the Asian Games squad.
In the compound events, reigning Asian Games star Jyothi Surekha Vennam remains India's biggest medal hope after another consistent season on the international circuit. The squad will compete under the guidance of coach Sonam Tshering Bhutia, with the aim of building momentum heading into the continent's biggest sporting event later this year.
Madrid carries additional significance because it is the final qualification tournament before the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final. Only the season's best performers across the four World Cup stages earn a place in the prestigious finale in Saltillo, making every elimination round and every medal match particularly valuable. For several Indian archers who have produced encouraging performances throughout the season, Madrid offers one final chance to secure enough ranking points to extend their World Cup campaign.
Among India's strongest medal contenders is Jyothi Surekha Vennam, who enters Madrid as one of the world's leading compound archers. The world No. 3 enjoyed a memorable Asian Games campaign in Hangzhou, winning three gold medals, and now prepares for her fourth Asian Games appearance. She will be joined by two of India's brightest young prospects.
Taniparthi Chikitha, the reigning U21 World Youth Champion from Winnipeg, continues her rapid rise, while Prithika Pradeep, only 17, has already collected medals at the Asian Championships and World Cup level. Speaking previously about her goals, Jyothi had summed up her approach simply: "To be well prepared and to give my 100% in every tournament I compete in."
The trio gives India one of the strongest compound women's teams in the competition.
The compound men's squad also reflects India's growing investment in youth. World University Games champion Sahil Rajesh Jadhav retains his place after impressive performances earlier in the World Cup season. He will be supported by Kushal Dalal and Ganesh Thiru Muru, both members of India's gold medal-winning U21 team at the 2025 World Youth Championships in Winnipeg.
Meanwhile, experienced names like Abhishek Verma and former world champion Ojas Pravin Deotale missed out after competitive selection trials, highlighting the depth now available in Indian compound archery.
One of the biggest talking points from India's selection trials was the emergence of Kirti. Ranked outside the world's top 150, the 19-year-old produced an outstanding performance to finish on top during the selection process. Her consistency throughout qualification and the round-robin stages earned her a deserved place in both the World Cup and Asian Games squads.
Kirti will partner fellow youngster Kumkum Anil Mohod alongside experienced Olympian Ankita Bhakat, who remains the senior figure within the squad. Bhakat acknowledged the challenge posed by the younger generation. "The trials were challenging, and I really had to push myself to the limit," she said after the selections.
"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."
The combination of youthful confidence and international experience could prove crucial against the world's strongest nations.
India's recurve men's squad sees Neeraj Chauhan joining Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara, Yashdeep Bhoge, and veteran Atanu Das. For Atanu, qualifying itself represented a significant achievement after recovering from a shoulder injury over the past few months. "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," he said. "In the end, I secured spots for two World Cups, which is not bad at all."
Although he missed Asian Games qualification, Madrid offers another opportunity for the former world No. 1 to demonstrate his experience on the international stage.
India enters Madrid carrying the confidence of recent international success. At the Hangzhou Asian Games, Indian compound archers completed a historic clean sweep by winning all five available gold medals, while the recurve teams added a silver and a bronze. This season has also witnessed impressive performances from India's emerging talent across World Cups, Asia Cups and junior competitions.
Madrid therefore serves not only as a World Cup qualification event but also as a dress rehearsal before the Asian Games. Strong performances in Spain would provide invaluable confidence heading into Nagoya, where India will once again target multiple medals across both recurve and compound events.
With experienced campaigners like Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das joining an exciting generation of young archers, India arrives in Madrid with genuine medal ambitions and an opportunity to finish the World Cup season on a high before the focus shifts towards another major continental challenge.
India Squad – Archery World Cup Stage 4 (Madrid)
Recurve Men: Dhiraj Bommadevara, Neeraj Chauhan, Yashdeep Bhoge, Atanu Das
Recurve Women: Kirti, Kumkum Anil Mohod, Ankita Bhakat, Deepika Kumari
Compound Men: Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, Kushal Dalal, Ganesh Thiru Muru, Rishabh Yadav
Compound Women: Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Taniparthi Chikitha, Prithika Pradeep, Parneet Kaur
Quotes were given to Sportstar.
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