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Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari will be among a host of top names set to take part in the trials. | Photo Credit: File photo: R. RAGU
The trials will be open for the top 32 finishers from the National championships in Hyderabad held last month. Archers, who have shot the prescribed minimum qualification score – recurve men (654) and women (625) and compound men (696) and women (683) – in the Archery Association of India (AAI) specified events last year will also be eligible.
After the trials here, archers will be chosen for the first two stages of the World Cup in Puebla, Mexico, (April 7-12) and Shanghai, China, (May 5-10). Besides, a core group of the top-16 in each category will be picked for the second and final selection trials, to be held in April or May.
Following the second stage, Indian teams will be selected for the last two stages of the World Cup, in Antalya, Turkey, (June 9-14) and Madrid, Spain, (July 7-12), as well as the all-important Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (September 19-October 4).
Selection will be done after adding points obtained in the qualification round, round robin matches and elimination matches apart from bonus points.
“The competition level has increased. Apart from the experienced lot, promising archers such as 16-year-old Sharvari Shende (World under-18 individual champion and the current National champion) and 15-year-old Gatha Khadake (World under-18 team bronze winner and National individual bronze medallist) have made their mark. The men’s section is also packed with good archers. I think the trials will be competitive,” seasoned coach Purnima Mahato told The Hindu on Sunday.
Purnima said the road ahead would be even tougher. “The reduction in recurve slots to accommodate compound archery in Los Angeles 2028 will make the Olympic qualification process tougher. Our archers should be prepared to handle such high-pressure situations.”
The five-day event here will be the first of many tests for the archers on a busy calendar.
Published – January 04, 2026 08:24 pm IST
