India Clinches Historic Gold in Men’s Compound Team Event at World Archery Championships
Mumbai: India etched its name in archery history on Sunday by winning the maiden gold medal in the men’s compound team event at the World Archery Championships, defeating France 235-233 in a nail-biting final.
The Indian trio of Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini, and Prathamesh Fuge displayed nerves of steel after trailing 57-59 in the first end. They stormed back with six perfect 10s in the second round to tie the match at 117-117. With the scores level at 176-176 going into the decider, France faltered with two 9s, opening the door for India. Fuge, the team’s lowest-ranked qualifier, sealed the landmark victory with a perfect 10 on the final arrow.
BREAKING: INDIA CREATE HISTORY 🏹
— India_AllSports (@India_AllSports) September 7, 2025
India's 1st EVER GOLD medal in Compound Men's team event at Archery World Championships 🔥
Trio of Rishabh, Prathamesh & Aman beat French pair 235-233 in Gold medal match.
📸 @worldarchery #Archery pic.twitter.com/k56cUQGOE3
“It’s not just Fuge, each member of the trio showed character and complemented each other without succumbing to pressure,” said India’s chief compound coach Jiwanjot Singh Teja, crediting a tactical shooting order change during the early rounds as key to the triumph.
The Indians had earlier beaten heavyweights USA and Turkey on their way to the final.
Double Medal Joy for Rishabh Yadav
For 23-year-old Rishabh Yadav, the gold capped a remarkable campaign. Earlier in the day, he teamed up with veteran Jyothi Surekha Vennam to win silver in the mixed team event, narrowly losing 155-157 to world No. 1 Mike Schloesser and Sanne de Laat of the Netherlands.
Yadav, who has been mentored by senior archer Abhishek Verma, is fast emerging as one of India’s brightest archery prospects. After his first World Cup medal in Shanghai earlier this year, he now boasts two medals in his debut World Championships.
Setback for Women’s Team
The women’s compound team suffered disappointment, bowing out in the pre-quarterfinals with a 229-233 defeat to Italy. This marked the end of their streak of four successive podium finishes since 2017.
Rising Force in Compound Archery
Despite the women’s early exit, India’s haul of a historic gold and silver on the opening weekend in Gwangju underscores the nation’s growing might in compound archery. With young stars like Yadav and Fuge stepping up on the global stage, expectations are high for more podium finishes in upcoming individual events.
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