New Delhi, India, May 19, 2026: Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari failed to secure a place in the Indian women’s recurve team for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
India’s archery squad for the continental games from September 19 to October 4 in Japan was finalised on Monday, May 18 after a demanding three-day selection trial in Sonepat, Haryana.
Missing out were Deepika Kumari, former India number one Atanu Das, and men’s compound archer and multiple Asian Games medallist Abhishek Verma after disappointing performances in the selection trials conducted at the Sports Authority of India Centre.
Teenagers Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod emerged as the biggest gainers in the women’s recurve category, while Olympian Ankita Bhakat sealed the third and final berth after defeating Deepika in a shoot-off.
In the compound section that won all five gold medals on offer at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, veteran Jyothi Surekha Vennam remained the only experienced face to make the cut. Vennam won the gold medal in the women’s individual event in Hangzhou.