Gwangju: Olympian Deepika Kumari and compound specialist Jyothi Surekha Vennam will be among 12 Indian archers competing at the World Archery Championships 2025, beginning Saturday.
First held in 1931 and biennial since the 1950s, the World Archery Championships have seen India win 15 medals—three gold, nine silver, and three bronze. The last edition in 2023, Berlin, was particularly successful, with India topping the medal table, claiming all three golds and one bronze.
In Berlin, Aditi Swami became the youngest women’s compound world champion, while Ojas Deotale won the men’s compound title. Jyothi Surekha Vennam secured an individual bronze and teamed up with Aditi and Parneet Kaur to win the women’s compound team gold.
This year, Jyothi and Parneet will compete again, but reigning champions Aditi and Ojas will not defend their titles. Prithika Pradeep, who recently won a silver in the women’s U18 category at the World Youth Championships in Winnipeg, joins the women’s compound team.
Leading the recurve squad, Deepika Kumari, a two-time team silver medalist at the World Championships (2011, 2015), will be accompanied by fellow Olympians Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat. Young talent Gatha Anandrao Khadake, a double team bronze medalist in U18 recurve at Winnipeg, also features in the team.
A total of 500 archers from 74 countries will compete for the world champion title in Gwangju, with the event concluding on September 11. This edition includes men’s and women’s events across team, mixed team, and individual formats.
India Team – World Archery Championships 2025
- Recurve Men: Dhiraj Bommadevara (15), Neeraj Chauhan (271), Rahul (85)
- Recurve Women: Ankita Bhakat (37), Gatha Anandrao Khadake (177), Deepika Kumari (6)
- Compound Men: Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge (16), Aman Saini (157), Rishabh Yadav (6)
- Compound Women: Parneet Kaur (13), Prithika Pradeep (148), Jyothi Surekha Vennam (3)
Championship Schedule – Gwangju 2025
- Sept 6, Sat: Compound qualification; compound team & mixed team eliminations – 5:30 AM onwards
- Sept 7, Sun: Compound men individual eliminations (morning); compound team & mixed team medal matches – 5:30 AM (elims), 10:30 AM (finals)
- Sept 8, Mon: Compound women individual eliminations; compound men finals – 5:30 AM onwards
- Sept 9, Tue: Recurve qualification; recurve team & mixed team eliminations; compound women finals – 5:30 AM onwards
- Sept 10, Wed: Recurve men individual eliminations; recurve team & mixed team medal matches – 5:30 AM (elims), 10:30 AM (finals)
- Sept 11, Thu: Recurve men’s individual eliminations & finals – 5:30 AM onwards
- Sept 12, Fri: Recurve women’s finals – 5:30 AM onwards
