India archer Dhiraj Bommadevara has etched history in Saltillo, Mexico. The 23-year-old archer became the first Indian male archer to win gold at the Archery World Cup Final.
The marquee event, which took place from September 12-13 saw Bommadevara defeat Japan's Nakanishi Junya 6-5 in a shoot-off to clinch the gold medal.
With the Asian Games 2026 now less than a week away, Bommadevara will look to continue his impressive run and complete another unfinished job for India.
Dhiraj Bommadevara Biography at a Glance
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Aspects
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Details
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Name
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Dhiraj Bommadevara
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Date of Birth
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September 3, 2001
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Birthplace
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Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
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Profession
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Archer & Indian Army Officer (Havaldar / Subedar)
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Discipline
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Men's Recurve Archery
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Early Training
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Cherukuri Volga Archery Academy, Vijayawada (2006–2018)
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Training Base
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Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune
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Education
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Graduation from SRR & CVR Government Degree College, Vijayawada
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Recent Achievement
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First Indian male archer to win Gold at the Archery World Cup Final (2026)
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Who is Dhiraj Bommadevara?
Born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Dhiraj Bommadevara is a non-commissioned Havaldar in the Indian Army. In the recently concluded Archery World Cup Final, he became the first Indian male archer to win the gold medal.
He is one of the brightest prospects for India in the sport and carries high hopes for the country in major international events.
How Did Dhiraj Bommadevara Defeat Nakanishi Junya?
Dhiraj Bommadevara played a neck-to-neck final match against Nakanishi Junya. The match went into a shoot-off after the two archers were locked at 5-5 following five rounds. In the shoot-off, Bommadevara finished with a perfect 10 to rewrite history. Below is the complete breakdown of the match.
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Set / Round
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Dhiraj Bommadevara (IND)
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Nakanishi Junya (JPN)
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Set Points
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Match Score
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Set 1
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28
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28
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1–1
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1–1
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Set 2
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28
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29
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0–2
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1–3
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Set 3
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29
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28
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2–0
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3–3
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Set 4
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28
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30
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0–2
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3–5
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Set 5
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28
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27
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2–0
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5–5
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Shoot-Off
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10
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9
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1–0
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6–5 (WIN)
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Dhiraj Bommadevara: Major Achievements
Dhiraj Bommadevara has already achieved some outstanding milestones early in his career. His achievements include winning a silver medal at the Asian Games 2022 and qualifying for the medal match at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Below are the details of all the major achievements of Dhiraj Bommadevara.
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Archery World Cup Final (2026): History maker in Saltillo, Mexico, being the first ever Indian male recurve archer to clinch the individual gold at the Archery World Cup Final, defeating Japan's Nakanishi Junya 6–5 in a shootout.
Antalya World Cup Stage 3 (2026): Successfully won the titles of Men's Individual Recurve (beating Lee Woo-seok of Korea 7-3) and Recurve Mixed Team gold along with Kumkum Mohod.
Asian Archery Championships (2025): First ever Indian male archer to clinch individual gold in the Recurve event at the Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka, beating his own teammate Rahul 6–2 in the finals.
Asian Games (2022/23): Silver medalist in the Men's Recurve Team category with Atanu Das and Tushar Shelke in Hangzhou.
Paris Olympic Games (2024): Finished 4th in the qualification ranking round (681/720) and took India to a fourth place in the Mixed Team event with Ankita Bhakat.
World Cup Circuit Stages (2023–2025): Created a multiple medal record in the World Cup circuit, comprising team silver medals in stages, individual bronze in Antalya (2023) and Florida (2025).