India’s star archers Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das have been left out of the Indian archery team for the Asian Games 2026 after both failed to secure top positions in the selection trials held at the SAI Centre in Sonepat. The three-day trials saw a major reshuffle in both recurve and compound categories, with young archers outperforming several experienced names.

The Archery Association of India announced the final squad after the completion of trials for the upcoming Asian Games, which will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September–October 2026. The selection process proved highly competitive, with several close matches and shoot-offs deciding final places in the national team.

Deepika Kumari misses out after shoot-off defeat

Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari, one of India’s most experienced archers, failed to make the Asian Games squad after finishing fourth in the recurve category. Her journey ended in a closely fought shoot-off against younger archer Ankita Bhakat, where Deepika narrowly lost. The battle for the final spot was intense, with Deepika and Ankita tied at 10.75 points after the initial rounds. However, Ankita held her nerve in the decisive shoot-off to secure the third and final place in the recurve women’s team, pushing Deepika out of contention.

Deepika Kumari, who has represented India in multiple Olympics and Asian Games since 2010, will now miss her second consecutive Asian Games appearance. She was also absent from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games due to maternity reasons. Despite her exit from the Asian Games squad, Deepika remains part of India’s World Cup circuit team and will continue competing in upcoming international events. Under current selection rules, four archers are chosen for World Cup events, while only the top three qualify for the Asian Games squad. Deepika has had a decorated career with multiple World Cup medals and Commonwealth Games success, but an individual Asian Games medal continues to elude her. Her best performance at the continental event remains a team bronze at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

Young archers dominate recurve selection

The trials highlighted a strong emergence of young talent in Indian archery. Nineteen-year-old archer Kirti Sharma topped the recurve women’s section with an impressive 13.5 points, securing direct qualification to the Asian Games squad.

Kirti, who hails from Jind district in Haryana, has quickly risen through the ranks in Indian archery. Coming from a modest background, her father works in iron gate fabrication. She was identified during a talent scouting trial in 2022 and trained at the SAI Hazaribagh Centre in Jharkhand. Kirti made her international debut at the Asia Cup Stage-1 event in Bangkok earlier this year and has already represented India in three Asia Cup competitions. She has also contributed to a team bronze medal performance alongside experienced archers Riddhi Phor and Ruma Biswas. Along with Kirti, Maharashtra archer Kumkum Mohod secured the second position in the trials, confirming her place in the Asian Games squad. Their performances pushed senior archers down the rankings and ensured a new-look recurve team for India.

Major changes in compound archery lineup

The compound archery category also saw significant changes, with several established names missing out. India’s most successful compound archer Jyoti Surekha Vennam was the only senior athlete to retain her place in the team, ensuring continuity in the women’s compound squad. However, the men’s compound section witnessed a major upset. Experienced archer Abhishek Verma failed to deliver a strong performance and finished at the bottom among the top eight competitors, missing qualification for the Asian Games.

World number seven Rishabh Yadav also narrowly missed out on selection after finishing fourth in the trials. He was overtaken by Andhra Pradesh archer Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam, who secured his place in the final squad with a strong performance under pressure. India had dominated compound archery in the previous Asian Games, winning all five gold medals. However, this year’s team reflects a significant transition phase with younger athletes stepping into key roles.

Strong competition and future expectations

The selection trials in Sonepat witnessed intense competition across all categories, with archers pushing each other to the limit. Several matches were decided in shoot-offs, highlighting the narrow margins that separated qualification from elimination. The Archery Association of India emphasized that the selection was based purely on performance during trials, ensuring fairness and transparency in team selection.

The upcoming Asian Games in Japan are expected to be highly competitive, with countries like South Korea, China, and Japan traditionally dominating archery events. India will enter the tournament with a mix of experienced players and emerging young talent. While the exclusion of experienced names like Deepika Kumari and Abhishek Verma marks a significant shift, the inclusion of young archers signals a long-term strategy aimed at building depth for future international competitions, including the Olympics.

The focus now shifts to preparation camps and international exposure events as the selected archers gear up for one of the biggest sporting stages in Asia.