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.
Sources
Share this story
Related articles
'Everyone knew': Marsch demands relegation for Manchester City after cheating verdict
Canada coach Jesse Marsch has said Manchester City should be 'punished severely' and relegated after an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 financial breaches, claiming the inflated spending was an open secret across the Premier League.
· 2 min read
Three banned substances, one lost bout: India's kurash campaign hit by doping shame at Asian Games
Indian kurash player Yash Kumar Chauhan has been provisionally suspended after his Asian Games sample tested positive for metabolites of Metandienone, GW1516 and Mephentermine. The 24-year-old had already lost his +90kg bout 0-10 to Tajikistan's Shakarmamad Mirmamadov.
· 1 min read
Lovlina Borgohain punches her way to Asian Games boxing gold; India eyes a record medal haul
Lovlina Borgohain beat China's Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the women's 75kg final on Friday, becoming only the second Indian woman after Mary Kom to win Asian Games boxing gold. With a sailing bronze for Nethra Kumanan and gold-medal bouts still to come in boxing, hockey and archery, India is chasing a record Day 14.
· 1 min read
India set up Asian Games final against Pakistan after Sri Lanka rout
India thrashed Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the Asian Games men's cricket semifinal on Thursday — 169/7 answered by 45 all out — to set up a gold-medal clash with Pakistan on Saturday at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin.
· 1 min read