The 2025 season of the Archery World Cup is all set to begin on April 8, with the first stage taking place in Florida, USA. A depleted Indian contingent of 10 archers will kick off their campaign there.
Indian archers have enjoyed a lot of success in recent years at the Archery World Cup circuit, winning 25 gold medals in the last four years-more than 50 percent of their overall tally of 42 golds.
Deepika Kumari is the most successful Indian archer on the circuit, with more than 35 medals in a career spanning over a decade. She is followed by top names like Jyothi Surekha Vennam, who have also made significant contributions.
Here, The Bridge highlights the achievements of India’s top performers in the rich history of the Archery World Cup circuit:
Deepika Kumari – Recurve (11 Gold)
The most decorated Indian archer, Deepika Kumari, holds the record for the most medals by an Indian at the World Cup circuit.
She has won 38 medals in 44 appearances, including a record six medals at the World Cup Final (5 silver, 1 bronze). She also holds the record for the most individual gold medals (4) at the circuit by an Indian archer.
Her team contributions include six golds in the women’s team event and one in the mixed team event.
Abhishek Verma – Compound (10 Gold)
Abhishek Verma is the most successful Indian male compound archer at the World Cup, with 24 medals to his name, including 10 golds.
He was the first Indian compound archer to win a medal at the World Cup Final and has two to his name (Silver in 2015, Bronze in 2018)-the most by any Indian compound archer.
He has won three individual golds, two mixed team titles, and five men’s team golds in his career.
Jyothi Surekha Vennam – Compound (10 Gold)
India’s most consistent compound archer, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, was part of the women’s compound team that clinched India’s first-ever gold at the World Archery Championships.
She has 21 World Cup medals-10 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze-and is the only Indian to win an individual women’s compound title on the World Cup circuit.
Jyothi was in red-hot form last year, winning five golds in a single calendar year, including three in women’s team events and one each in individual and mixed team events.
Jayanta Talukdar – Recurve (7 Gold)
Jayanta Talukdar is India’s most decorated male recurve archer and the only one to have won a medal at the World Cup Final-bronze in 2010.
He holds the record for the most World Cup medals by an Indian male recurve archer with 23 (7 gold, 10 silver, 6 bronze).
Two of his seven golds came in individual events in Croatia (2006 and 2009), while the remaining five were in the men’s team event.
Rahul Banerjee – Recurve (5 Gold)
Olympian Rahul Banerjee is among the most successful Indian archers on the World Cup circuit with 11 medals, including five golds.
A key member of India’s recurve team from 2008 to 2012, 10 of his 11 medals came in the men’s team event: five golds, four silvers, and one bronze.
He is also among the rare Indian recurve archers to win an individual medal, claiming silver in the men’s event in Poreč, Croatia, in 2008.