Picture Credit: World Archery
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.
The 25-year-old Army archer, ranked World No 10, defeated Japan’s World No 20 Nakanishi Junya 6-5 in a thrilling final in Saltillo, Mexico.
With the contest level at 5-5 after five sets, Bommadevara held his nerve in the decisive shoot-off, firing a 10 while Nakanishi managed a nine to secure the gold medal.
The victory marked a major breakthrough for Bommadevara after his previous appearances at the 2023 and 2024 World Cup Finals ended without a medal.
In Saltillo, Bommadevara produced a strong run through the knockout rounds before overcoming Nakanishi in a closely fought title clash.
Neither archer gave much away during the final, with the five sets ending 28-28, 28-29, 29-28, 28-30 and 28-27.
The narrow margins forced the championship to be decided in a shoot-off, where Bommadevara delivered under pressure. His triumph rewrote India’s record at the prestigious season-ending event.
Jayanta Talukdar had won bronze in Edinburgh in 2010, but no Indian man had previously claimed the World Cup Final title.
Bommadevara’s victory ends a 19-year wait for India’s next individual World Cup Final gold.
Dola Banerjee remains the country’s only other individual champion, having won the women’s title in Dubai in 2007.
Deepika Kumari remains India’s most decorated archer at the event, with six World Cup Final medals across eight appearances.
Bommadevara has now created a record of his own, turning his third appearance into the biggest title of his career and opening a new chapter for Indian men’s recurve archery.
Also Read: India Recall Bumrah, Reddy And Varun For Afghanistan T20I Opener
To read more such news, download Bharat Express news apps
