India's compound coach Dave Cousins threatens to quit over unpaid salary after Asian Games success
Dave Cousins, appointed India’s chief compound coach in May, has threatened to quit and leave the country over unpaid salary after guiding India’s compound archers to an Olympic quota at the Asian Games, sources said on October 9, 2026.
Cousins, a 49-year-old American, took charge of the compound programme just over three months before the Asian Games and has not received his salary since his appointment. He helped India win three gold and one bronze in the compound events at the Asian Games, contributing to the country’s combined recurve and compound haul of five gold, two silver and two bronze. The unpaid dues emerged as a dispute despite those results.
The Olympic quota was secured when the mixed pair Sahil Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi beat South Korea in a shoot-off after the final was tied 157-157 over four ends, the pair taking gold. Cousins also coached 18-year-old Prithika Pradeep to her first World Cup bronze at the Madrid stage in Spain during his tenure.
Sources said Cousins was “really unhappy with the way he's been treated for three months” and that he “has spoken to some officials and said if the dues are not cleared he's leaving home. He's really unhappy with the way he's been treated for three months... he's not been paid so far,” the sources claimed. He is reported to have “threatened to quit and leave the country” if the pending dues are not cleared.
The Archery Association of India is simultaneously in talks with South Korean Park Chae-soon to lead the recurve programme, with the multiple Olympic gold-winning coach expected to join by December. Park’s previous roles cited include coaching South Korea’s women’s team at the London 2012 Olympics, the men’s team at Rio 2016 and serving as overall head coach for the Tokyo Olympics.
Archery Association of India treasurer Dr. Joris Paulose Ummacheril acknowledged the payment delay but said the issue had been resolved and the dues would be paid shortly. “There was some issue with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), so the payment got delayed. But it has all been worked out, and it will be paid within two days,” Joris told PTI. A SAI official in New Delhi added: “We have already spoken to him and assured him that the payment is under process. It got delayed because of a technical issue with the bank, and it should be done within a couple of days,” the official said.
Cousins, a former world No. 1 who won World Archery Championship titles in 1999 and 2003, accepted the role after Sergio Pagni, under whom India swept all five archery gold medals at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, left. He was given responsibility for building India’s compound programme ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where the mixed team event will make its debut.
Officials say the payment issue has been resolved and the outstanding salary will be cleared within a couple of days, while talks to bring Park Chae-soon into the recurve programme are expected to conclude with his arrival by December.