Dhiraj Bommadevara Creates History, Becomes First Indian Man to Win Archery World Cup Final

Dhiraj Bommadevara scripted a new chapter in Indian archery on Sunday, becoming the first Indian man to win the Archery World Cup Final in the men’s recurve category after edging Japan’s Nakanishi Junya in a dramatic shoot-off in Saltillo.

The 25-year-old Army archer, ranked 10th in the world, held his nerve when it mattered most to prevail 6-5. With the five-set final tied at 5-5, the title was decided by a shoot-off. Dhiraj delivered a perfect 10, while Nakanishi could manage only a nine, handing the Indian his maiden World Cup Final gold.

The victory ended a wait of 16 years for another Indian male archer to reach the podium at the prestigious season-ending event. Jayanta Talukdar had won bronze at the 2010 World Cup Final in Edinburgh, but no Indian man had previously managed to claim the title.

Dhiraj’s triumph is even more significant given his earlier struggles at the event. He had competed at the 2023 and 2024 World Cup Finals but returned from both editions without a medal. In his third appearance, he successfully negotiated the knockout stages before producing his best performance when the pressure was at its highest.

The final against world No. 20 Nakanishi was closely fought from start to finish. The two archers were level at 28-28 in the opening set, before Nakanishi edged the second 29-28. Dhiraj responded by taking the third set 29-28, but the Japanese archer struck back with a 30-28 win in the fourth.

With the title still hanging in the balance, Dhiraj won the fifth set 28-27 to force the shoot-off. His decisive 10 under pressure ultimately separated the two finalists.

Dhiraj’s gold also strengthens India’s record at the World Cup Final, though the country has previously tasted individual success in the women’s recurve category. Dola Banerjee remains India’s other individual champion at the event, having won the women’s title in Dubai in 2007.

Deepika Kumari is India’s most decorated archer at the World Cup Final, with six medals from eight appearances, including five silver and one bronze.

For Dhiraj, however, Saltillo represents a breakthrough of a different magnitude. After two unsuccessful World Cup Final campaigns, he finally converted his third appearance into the biggest individual title of his career. More importantly, his victory provides Indian men’s recurve archery with a historic first and establishes Dhiraj among the country’s leading performers on the international stage.