Asian Games 2026: India’s archers to start at Okazaki as Suruchi and Kamaljeet claim shooting gold

India’s archers begin their Asian Games campaign at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Japan on Saturday (September 25, 2026), with a goal to improve on the nation’s nine-medal haul from Hangzhou. The programme forms part of the larger Asian Games 2026 schedule taking place in Nagoya and surrounding venues.

Dhiraj Bommadevara leads the Indian archery contingent after securing a World Cup Final triumph in Saltillo last week, becoming the first Indian male recurve archer to win the season-ending title. The 25-year-old’s recent run also includes his maiden World Cup gold in Antalya and the 2025 Asian Archery Championships title, results cited as evidence of his form heading into the Games.

The Indian archery squad arrives with a mix of experienced athletes and younger faces, aiming to translate recent international success into continental medals at the Okazaki venue. Organisers scheduled individual and team events to begin at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square on Saturday, with expectations that leading names like Bommadevara will anchor the campaign.

Naorem Roshibina Devi’s participation in wushu provided an unexpected subplot after she initially missed out at the trials and had prepared to watch the Asian Games on television. The two-time medallist was a last-minute inclusion to the team and went on to win silver in wushu at the Asian Games, registering her third consecutive medal at the tournament despite the late call-up.

India’s search for a shooting gold at the Aichi General Shooting Range ended on the sixth day of competition when Suruchi Phogat and Kamaljeet combined to win the 10m air pistol mixed team event. The duo set a new Asian Games record in the process, posting 484.6 in Nagoya to secure the title for India.

Other Indian athletes continued across multiple sports in Nagoya on the opening days of competition, with the archery schedule now taking centre stage at Okazaki. Team officials and supporters will monitor archery and remaining shooting events closely as medal opportunities persist across a range of disciplines.

Archery competition at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square begins on Saturday (September 25, 2026), with India’s contingent led by Dhiraj Bommadevara among those expected to contest individual and team honours during the Asian Games schedule.