All posts tagged: archery association of india

India appoints former World No. 1 Dave Cousins as Compound Archery Coach ahead of LA 2028

India appoints former World No. 1 Dave Cousins as Compound Archery Coach ahead of LA 2028

Published by Webster

India has appointed former world No. 1 Dave Cousins as the head foreign coach of the national compound archery team in a move aimed at boosting medal prospects for the upcoming Asian Games and the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. The 49-year-old American has accepted the offer from the Sports Authority of India and is expected to join the national camp at the SAI centre in Sonepat early next month. He will reportedly receive a monthly salary package of $12,000 and remain with the Indian setup through the 2028 Olympic cycle. The appointment gains significance as compound archery is set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Games.iii During his competitive career, Cousins won 11 World Championship gold medals and nine World Cup stage titles, establishing himself as one of the most decorated compound archers in the sport. Talks with Kisik Lee for recurve setup hit hurdle Meanwhile, discussions between Indian officials and renowned South Korean coach Kisik Lee for the recurve programme have reportedly stalled over financial terms, per a report from TOI. …

Sheetal Devi becomes first Indian woman Para Archer to qualify for able-bodied Event

Sheetal Devi becomes first Indian woman Para Archer to qualify for able-bodied Event

Published by Webster

Paralympic medallist, 17-year-old Sheetal Devi from Jammu and Kashmir, has become the first Indian woman para archer to qualify for an able-bodied international competition. Sheetal earned her place in India’s junior women’s compound team for the upcoming Asia Cup Stage 3, scheduled to be held in Jeddah later this year. The selection followed the Junior Selection Trials organized by the Archery Association of India at SAI NCOE Sonipat from November 3 to 6. Competing under the same conditions as other athletes, Sheetal finished third overall in the trials to confirm her selection. She scored a total of 703 points in the qualification rounds, 352 in Round 1 and 351 in Round 2, matching top scorer Tejal Rajendra Salve. In the combined rankings, Tejal Salve placed first, Vaidehi Hirachandra Jadhav second, and Sheetal third, securing her spot in the national squad. Born without arms, Sheetal uses her legs and shoulders to draw and release the bow, a unique technique that has already earned her gold medals at the World Para Championships and Asian Para Games. Her …

Six Indian Archers to miss the Archery World Cup 2025

Six Indian Archers to miss the Archery World Cup 2025

Published by Webster

Six Indian archers, including the reigning world champion compound women’s team, will miss the Archery World Cup Stage 1 scheduled from April 8 to 13 in Florida due to visa delays. Despite desperate appeals on social media by the Archery Association of India (AAI), repeated emails to the US Embassy and World Archery, and requests made to the Sports Authority of India and the Government of India, the situation could not be resolved. The archers waited patiently for their visa clearance until Monday evening, but all efforts proved unsuccessful. As reported by The Bridge on April 2, six archers and three support staff — including world champion Aditi Gopichand Swami, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, and Chikitha Taniparthi (all compound women), Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara (recurve men), Uday Kamboj (compound men), Anshika Kumari (recurve women), along with support staff Sonam Tshering Bhutia, Jiwanjot Singh Teja, and Snober Rupal — were awaiting word from the US Embassy. “It’s confirmed that our compound women’s team will not be going. But it looks like there is no chance for others, too. The …