Rishabh Yadav Clinches Bronze for India in World Games 2025 Archery

In a remarkable achievement, Rishabh Yadav has won India's first medal at the World Games 2025, clinching bronze in the men's individual compound archery event. Competing against fellow Indian archer Abhishek Verma, Yadav showcased exceptional skill and determination. The match was a nail-biter, with Yadav edging out Verma by just two points. This victory not only marks a significant milestone for Yadav but also for Indian archery, as it is the first individual medal in this category at the World Games. The article delves into the details of the match, the performances of other Indian archers, and the overall participation of the Indian contingent in Chengdu.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 9, 2025, 17:27 IST

India's First Medal at World Games 2025

Chengdu, China - On August 9, archer Rishabh Yadav made history by securing India's inaugural medal at the World Games 2025, winning bronze in the men's individual compound archery event.

In a thrilling all-Indian match for the bronze, Yadav triumphed over fellow archer Abhishek Verma with a score of 149-147, as reported by Olympics.com.

The competition began with a close first end, where Yadav narrowly led Verma 30-29. The second end saw both archers score 29, followed by perfect 30s in the third.

Yadav increased his lead to two points by winning the fourth end 30-29 and maintained his advantage in the fifth with both archers scoring flawless 30s.

In the qualification rounds, Verma placed fifth with a score of 710, while Yadav was tenth with 707.

The gold medal was claimed by Mike Schloesser from the Netherlands, with Curtis Broadnax from the USA taking silver after a final score of 150-148.

To reach the quarter-finals, Yadav defeated Riku Van Tonder from New Zealand and Julio Barillas from Guatemala. He then overcame Yagiz Sezgin from Turkiye 147-145 in the quarter-finals.

In the semi-finals, Yadav faced Broadnax but lost 147-145.

Abhishek Verma, a two-time Asian Games silver medalist, received a bye in the first round and won against Puerto Rico's Jean Pizarro 149-143 in the second round. He then defeated Sawyer Sullivan from the USA 148-145 in the quarter-finals before losing to Schloesser in the semi-finals.

Unfortunately, both Parneet Kaur and Madhura Dhamangaonkar did not advance past the quarter-finals in the women's individual compound event. Additionally, Dhamangaonkar and Verma were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the mixed team compound event.

This bronze medal marks India's first individual archery medal at the World Games and the second overall in the sport. In the previous edition held in Birmingham three years ago, Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam secured a bronze in the mixed team compound event.

India has sent a contingent of 17 athletes to the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, competing in various events including billiards, racquetball, roller sports, and wushu.