Ahmedabad Set to Host India’s First Hyundai World Archery Para Series

India is set to host the Hyundai World Archery Para Series for the first time, with more than 100 para archers from 20 countries set to compete at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad from September 5 to 9.

The tournament will mark the third stage of the 2026 Hyundai World Archery Para Series. The opening stage was held in Bangkok in April, followed by the second stage in Nove Mesto, Czechia, from June 30 to July 4. The fourth and final stage is scheduled to take place in Santiago, Chile, in October.

The event is being organised by the Archery Association of India (AAI) with support from the Gujarat government, Sports Authority of Gujarat and Sports Authority of India. Competitions will be held across four categories — Recurve Open, Compound Open, W1 and Visually Impaired.

Archers from India, China, Great Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Slovakia, the United States, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cyprus, Czechia, Iraq, Russia and Sri Lanka will take part in the competition.

India will have a strong 29-member squad, featuring some of the country's leading para archers. The line-up includes Paris 2024 Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh, world para archery champion and Paralympic medallist Sheetal Devi, Arjuna Awardee and World Para Archery medallist Rakesh Kumar, and Paralympian Shyam Sunder Swami.

The Indian contingent has been training at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar. Eleven members of the squad have also earned selection for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, making the Ahmedabad tournament an important competitive opportunity ahead of another major international assignment.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the tournament would not only give para-athletes an opportunity to compete against top international competitors but also strengthen the state's position as a venue for major sporting events.

The opening ceremony, scheduled for September 4, will carry the theme ‘Every Arrow Tells a Story of Courage’, highlighting the determination, resilience and sporting achievements of para-athletes.

AAI president Arjun Munda said hosting the series on home soil would give Indian archers the chance to test themselves against some of the world's leading para archers in front of a domestic audience.

He said the event would also help inspire young athletes and demonstrate India's growing capability to host international sporting competitions while promoting a more inclusive and accessible sporting environment.

AAI secretary general Virendra Sachdeva said bringing athletes, coaches and members of the international archery community together in India would help strengthen the country's para-archery ecosystem. The event is expected to provide greater exposure to the sport and help create more opportunities for Indian para archers to compete at the highest level.

Beyond the competition itself, Ahmedabad's hosting of the series is significant for India's para-sport movement. An international event of this scale provides Indian athletes with the advantage of competing at home while giving emerging para archers an opportunity to watch and learn from some of the world's best competitors.

The tournament will be formally inaugurated on September 4, with competition scheduled to continue through September 9.