Rishabh Yadav Wins India’s First Medal at World Games 2025, Creates Archery History

Chengdu, China – Archer Rishabh Yadav etched his name in the history books on Saturday by securing India’s first medal at the ongoing World Games 2025, clinching bronze in the men’s individual compound event. The 27-year-old’s feat is also India’s first-ever individual archery medal at the World Games, and only the second in the sport’s history for the country at the multi-sport event.

Yadav triumphed over compatriot Abhishek Verma 149-147 in an all-Indian bronze medal clash. The contest was a tense, high-quality shootout, with both archers displaying remarkable accuracy under pressure. Yadav gained a slender advantage in the first end, edging Verma 30-29. The second end saw both scoring 29 apiece, followed by perfect 30s in the third. Yadav pulled ahead again in the fourth with another 30-29 round, taking a two-point lead. The final end saw both archers finish with flawless 30s, sealing Yadav’s win.

The path to the podium saw Yadav, who qualified in 10th place with 707 points, defeat Riku Van Tonder of New Zealand and Julio Barillas of Guatemala, before overcoming Yagiz Sezgin of Turkiye 147-145 in the quarter-finals. His run for gold ended in the semi-finals after a narrow 145-147 loss to USA’s Curtis Broadnax.

Abhishek Verma, seeded fifth with a qualification score of 710, started with a bye before defeating Puerto Rico’s Jean Pizarro 149-143 and America’s Sawyer Sullivan 148-145. His title hopes ended with a 145-148 semi-final loss to the eventual champion, Mike Schloesser of the Netherlands, who later beat Broadnax 150-148 in the gold medal match.

In the women’s individual compound event, Parneet Kaur and Madhura Dhamangaonkar both exited in the quarter-finals. Madhura also partnered with Verma in the mixed team compound competition, but the pair bowed out in the quarter-finals on Friday.

India’s only previous archery medal at the World Games came in 2022, when Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam won a mixed team bronze in Birmingham. This year, India’s 17-member squad in Chengdu is competing in multiple disciplines, including billiards, racquetball, roller sports, and wushu. With Yadav’s milestone medal, the contingent will aim to add more to the tally in the days ahead.