India’s Dhiraj Bommadevara wins historic Archery World Cup Final

Dhiraj Bommadevara scripted a new chapter in Indian archery on Sunday, securing a historic gold at the Archery World Cup Final in Saltillo after edging Japan’s Nakanishi Junya in a tense shoot-off.
The 25-year-old Army archer, ranked World No. 10, held his nerve when it mattered most to win the final 6-5. The contest remained level at 5-5 after five sets, forcing the title clash into a shoot-off. Dhiraj delivered a perfect 10 with his final shot, while Nakanishi could manage only a nine.With the victory, Dhiraj became the first Indian man to claim the prestigious Archery World Cup Final title in the men’s recurve category.
India’s previous best result in the men’s recurve event came through Jayanta Talukdar, who won a bronze medal at the 2010 World Cup Final in Edinburgh. Dhiraj’s gold therefore marks a significant milestone for Indian men’s archery.The five sets in the final ended 28-28, 28-29, 29-28, 28-30 and 28-27, leaving both archers tied on points before the decisive shoot-off.
Dhiraj reached the final after successfully negotiating the knockout rounds, having failed to win a medal in his previous World Cup Final appearances in 2023 and 2024. His performance in Saltillo finally brought him his first medal at the season-ending event.The triumph also ended India’s wait for an individual World Cup Final gold since Dola Banerjee won the women’s title in Dubai in 2007. Banerjee remains the only other Indian archer to have won an individual World Cup Final title.
Deepika Kumari is India’s most successful archer at the event, with six World Cup Final medals — five silver and one bronze — from eight appearances.For Dhiraj, the Saltillo triumph is the biggest achievement of his career and a breakthrough on his third appearance at the World Cup Final. His historic victory has further strengthened India’s presence in men’s recurve archery.