Dhiraj Bommadevara produced a landmark performance on Sunday, becoming the first Indian male recurve archer to win gold at the World Cup Final after holding his nerve in a thrilling shoot-off against Japan’s Nakanishi Junya.
The 25-year-old Army archer, ranked World No. 10, edged the 20th-ranked Japanese 6-5 in a tense five-set final before sealing the title 10-9 in the shoot-off. The victory also ended a 16-year wait for an Indian male recurve archer to win a medal at the prestigious season-ending event.
Dhiraj had returned empty-handed from the 2023 and 2024 editions. This time, however, he arrived in form and carried that momentum all the way to the title.
A NAIL-BITING FINAL
The gold-medal clash was anything but straightforward. Nakanishi, fresh from knocking out Tokyo Olympics champion Mete Gazoz in his semifinal, began strongly and immediately put Dhiraj under pressure.
The Japanese archer dropped only three points from his opening six arrows to take a 3-1 lead. Dhiraj responded with a composed third set, shooting 29 to level the contest at 3-3.
Nakanishi then produced a perfect three-arrow fourth set to move 5-3 ahead. He needed only a tied fifth set to become champion.
Dhiraj refused to let the opportunity slip.
Under immense pressure, the Vijayawada archer held his nerve and dropped only two points in the decisive set. Nakanishi, meanwhile, faltered with a 27, forcing the final into a shoot-off at 5-5.
Dhiraj then delivered when it mattered most, shooting a perfect 10. Nakanishi could only manage a 9, handing the Indian a historic World Cup Final title.
TWO WINS FROM GOLD
Dhiraj had begun his campaign against Turkey’s Berkim Tumer in the quarterfinals and made a strong statement immediately, winning 7-1 without dropping a set.
He started with a 28-25 win before producing two 10s and a 9 in the second set to move 4-0 ahead. A 28-all third set was enough to send him into the semifinals.
His next opponent was France’s Rio Olympics silver medallist Jean-Charles Valladont. Once again, Dhiraj controlled the contest, winning 7-1.
Valladont managed to level the second set at 28-all after Dhiraj had taken the opening set, but the Indian responded with two near-flawless sets, dropping only two points across his final six arrows to seal his place in the final.
It was a significant turnaround from his maiden World Cup Final appearance in Hermosillo in 2023, when Dhiraj also reached the semifinals but lost the bronze-medal playoff.
ENDING INDIA’S LONG WAIT
Dhiraj’s triumph carries significance beyond his individual achievement. Jayanta Talukdar had been the last Indian male recurve archer to win a World Cup Final medal, taking bronze in Edinburgh in 2010.
Dhiraj has now gone one better, becoming the first Indian male recurve archer to win the coveted title.
Dola Banerjee remains the only other Indian to have won individual World Cup Final gold, having claimed the women’s title in 2007. Deepika Kumari has the most World Cup Final medals among Indians, with five silver and one bronze from eight appearances.
JAPAN NEXT
There will be little time for Dhiraj to celebrate.
He now heads straight to Japan for the Asian Games, where he will spearhead India’s recurve campaign. He had exited in the quarterfinals at the Hangzhou edition but returned home with a team silver.
This time, he arrives with something more valuable than just momentum. Dhiraj goes to the Asian Games as a World Cup Final champion, having already rewritten Indian recurve archery history.
– Ends
