At the World Archery Championships, yesterday India had a day that was both enthralling and disappointing. On one hand the men’s team, consisting of Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini and Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge battled it out against Turkey in a thrilling semi-final to reach their first ever category in the World Championships. The mixed compound duo of Rishab Yadav and Jyothi Surekha Vennam stormed into the finals. Both their performance have guaranteed them at least a silver medal. On the other hand, the defending women’s compound trio of Parneet Kaur, Prithika Pradeep and Vennam exited the tournament in the second round after being defeated by Italy.
Indian archery, although, has been delivering consistently on the international stage. Time and again we have seen such performances by the team, but it never seems to steal the spotlight. Indian archers have continued to be overlooked in the country that has started embracing multi-sport ambitions.
The perfect example to illustrate just how overlooked Indian archers have been is the story of Jyothi Surekha. Her career has spanned over a decade, she is one of the most decorated athletes in her discipline with medals across World Cups, Asian Games and World Championships. Yet she has traversed her journey in the shadows because compound archery has only recently been added to the Olympic programme.
“The Olympics should not be the only yardstick to judge or support athletes,” Jyothi told RevSportz in an exclusive conversation back in April. “We have been representing India, winning medals at World Cups, World Championships, and Asian Games. So you should not define an athlete only on whether their event is in the Olympics or not.”
While Jyothi is one of the most soft–spoken athletes that you will come across, her words carried the frustration of an entire community. For years, Indian compound archery has been in a deficit of recognition, corporate backing and media attention. Although things may finally shift after compound archery;s inclusion at the 2028 LA Olympics, their quiet hard work should not be brushed away,
Jyothi described the development as a long-awaited validation: “That medal would not just be for compound, it would be for the whole archery community. We have been waiting to get that one medal for the country at the Olympics.”
LA 2028 is still three years away and until then the grind will continue, from World Championships to World Cups. There will be moments of glory and heartbreak. But this time around India has the chance to do it right, now that Compound Archery has been added to the Olympic programme, it is a chance for the country to rally behind the Archers who have been consistently delivering at the international stage.
When talking about the lack of recognition, Jyothi termed it as “painful”, especially when she was overlooked for the Khel Ratna. “It was a painful phase, but you have tomove on. I had the support of many, many people who stood by me, be it my family or be it my friends or be it the archery community.It’s just not the award you have to focus on. You have to look at it in a broader perspective, maybe. It’s not the end. I just kept working hard and competing.”
The men’s compound archery team has now ensured a medal in Gwangju while Jyothi and her team will continue chasing glory. Indian archery has once again offered the country something to be proud of. The question is whether India will finally choose to remember them beyond the headlines.