Asian Games 2026: Neeraj beats teammate Dhiraj in all-Indian playoff for historic recurve bronze
Neeraj Chauhan edged compatriot Dhiraj Bommadevara 6-4 in a five-set bronze playoff at Okazaki, becoming only the second Indian man to win an individual recurve medal at the Asian Games.
Okazaki: Indian archer Neeraj Chauhan defeated compatriot Dhiraj Bommadevara 6-4 in an all-Indian bronze-medal playoff to take third place in the men's individual recurve event at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday.
Neeraj registered set scores of 29-26, 27-28, 28-29, 30-28, 29-28 in the five-setter at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square. Dhiraj led 4-2 and needed just one more set to seal the medal, but Neeraj produced a perfect fourth set with three 10s to level the match at 4-4.
In the decider, Dhiraj opened with an 8 while Neeraj hit a 10. Dhiraj recovered with two 10s to total 28, leaving Neeraj needing 19 from his last two arrows — he held his nerve with a 9 and a 10 to bag the bronze.
Both archers had come into the playoff after semifinal defeats: Neeraj lost 1-7 to Japan's Junya Nakanishi, while top seed Dhiraj went down to South Korea's Lee Woo-Seok.
The medal is historic — India's first in the men's individual recurve event since Tarundeep Rai's silver in 2010, and Neeraj becomes only the second Indian man ever to win an individual recurve medal at the Asian Games.
Both archers leave Okazaki with multiple medals. They won team silver together with Yashdeep Bhoge after losing the final to South Korea, while Dhiraj also took mixed-team silver alongside Kumkum Mohod. Kumkum scripted her own history at these Games, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold.