Pics: Sanjana Pulugurtha
He won two gold medals at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Antalya, clinched the men’s individual recurve title at the Archery World Cup Final in Mexico and returned from the Asian Games with two silver medals. Dhiraj also won silver in the men’s team event ‘I wanted gold, but I’m happy with two silver medals’
“‘I still have a lot of room for improvement, but this year’s achievements have really motivated me, and I’m going to push myself even harder,” says the 25-year-old archer from Vijayawada. Dhiraj Bommadevara has had a year to remember. In a candid chat with Hyderabad Times, Dhiraj reflects on his breakthrough year, the sacrifices that shaped his journey, the lessons he has learnt from setbacks and his ambitions for Indian archery. Dhiraj and Kumkum Anil Mohod with their recurve mixed team silver at the Asian Games.
However, the hard work did not immediately translate into results in 2025. “Going into 2025, I did everything I needed to do behind the scenes. But 2025 didn’t bring me many results,” he adds. His perseverance has paid off, making 2026 a landmark year in his career.
“It was the first time an Indian woman won an individual gold medal in recurve archery. It was also the first time we won silver in the mixed event.
I took a lot of positives from that,” he says. That’s why I think this year has been very special for me,” he says. He says the focus should be on measuring progress against past performances. “If we compare Indian archery today with where it was in the past, we’re only moving forward,” he says. During the qualification round at the Asian Games, I broke the previous record held by South Korea’s Lee Woo Seok,” he says. “Of course, we haven’t won that Olympic medal, but with every win and every learning experience, we’re moving towards that medal,” he adds. Competing in the franchise-based archery league in Hyderabad, he says, allows Indian archers, both established and emerging, to gain insights into the mindset and match-day approach of international competitors. These insights have helped us at several championships, where we went on to win titles,” he says.
“Finishing fourth was still a positive result, as no Indian archer had ever achieved that position before. I really put in the hard work and did everything. Despite not getting the results he had hoped for, Dhiraj continued to trust the process and remain consistent with his training. “When things weren’t working out, I didn’t give up on them. ‘Indian archery is only moving forward’ While Indian archery continues its pursuit of an Olympic medal, Dhiraj believes the team’s progress over the years offers reason for optimism. Pointing to recent milestones, Dhiraj highlights the team’s achievements at the Asian Games. ‘Sharing a team with international archers helps us improve’ Dhiraj also values the opportunity to learn from fellow archers. “When a foreign archer is part of our team, we understand how they think during a match and approach different situations. We also learn how they analyse their performances, win or lose.
The Asian Games medals are a motivation for that next step. ” Young Dheeraj in 2006 ‘I took the positives from Paris Olympics and pushed myself further’ For Dhiraj, finishing fourth in the mixed team event at the Paris 2024 Olympics was a significant moment in his career, despite missing out on a medal. At 16, he came close to giving up archery amid financial difficulties. Reflecting on his performance at the recently concluded Asian Games in Japan, Dhiraj says, “Compared to the last Asian Games, where I won one silver medal, this time I came back with two silvers.
We have some national tournaments and I’ll focus on my preparation for the next World Championships cycle,” he says. “I’m happy that I was able to go through all of it,” he says, adding, “In 2017, when I was 16, my family had run out of everything. Even though I wanted the gold, it’s okay, I have two medals. He adds, “I have a lot of room for improvement, and I can push myself forward during my upcoming training days. Following the conclusion of the tournament in Hyderabad, Dhiraj will return to the Army Sports Institute in Pune, where he trains, to focus on the next phase of his preparation. “The next three months are all about preparation. During the Asian Games in Japan ‘There was a time I almost gave up archery’ Behind Dhiraj’s rise is a story of sacrifice and perseverance. Nearly a decade ago, his mother, Revathi, sold her jewellery to buy him a second-hand bow as the family struggled to afford his equipment. But somehow, both my parents stood by me, and my sponsors have helped me a lot. ” – Biswajit Talukdar You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.
