TOISA 2025 Archer of the Year Nominees: Celebrating India's top marksmen and markswomen

The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, celebrating the inspiring journeys and achievements of India’s finest athletes across multiple disciplines.

TOISA 2025 will recognise performances delivered between January 1 and December 31, 2025, highlighting standout displays at global championships and major international competitions. Featuring more than 45 award categories, the event honours both established stars and emerging talents who made the nation proud through exceptional performances.The winners will be selected by a distinguished jury comprising some of India’s most respected sporting icons, including Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, hockey legend PR Sreejesh, batting great Mithali Raj, Paralympic champion Devendra Jhajharia, table tennis stalwart Sharath Kamal and tennis legend Leander Paes.

Their collective expertise ensures a credible and balanced evaluation of excellence across Indian sport.The TOISA 2025 Archery Player of the Year nominees celebrate India’s top archers who delivered exceptional performances on the international and national stage. In men’s recurve, Dhiraj Bommadevara won gold at the Asian Archery Championships and bronze at the Archery World Cup Stage 1, while Atanu Das claimed the individual title at the Senior National Archery Championship and silver in the World Cup team event.

In men’s compound, Prathamesh Fuge achieved gold at the World Archery Championships and Khelo India University Games, and Rishabh Yadav delivered record-breaking mixed team scores and multiple World Championship medals. Veteran Abhishek Verma also excelled with a mixed team gold and equalling the world record at the National Games. Among women, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Prithika Pradeep delivered stellar performances at World Cups, Asian Championships, and national events, highlighting India’s strength in archery across disciplines.Dhiraj BommadevaraDate of Birth: September 4, 2001Place of Birth: Vijayawada, Andhra PradeshMajor Achievements in 2025:Bronze - Men’s Individual Recurve — Archery World Cup Stage 1Gold - Men’s Recurve Individual — Asian Archery ChampionshipsDhiraj Bommadevara is one of India’s top recurve archers, known for his competitive spirit and international successes. In 2025, he continued to shine on the world stage with strong podium finishes across major events.

At the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Auburndale, Florida, he secured a bronze medal in the Men’s Individual Recurve event, demonstrating composure and precision against a competitive global field.In the Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka, Dhiraj achieved a historic milestone by winning the gold medal in the Men’s Recurve Individual category, adding a major continental title to his growing résumé.Known for his calm under pressure and technical skill, Dhiraj’s performances in 2025 reinforced his status as a key figure in Indian archery and a consistent threat in international competitions.Prathamesh FugeDate of Birth: December 28, 2002Place of Birth: Pimpri, MaharashtraMajor Achievements in 2025:Gold – Men’s team compound, World Archery ChampionshipsGold – Men’s Compound, Veronica CupGold – Individual - Khelo India University GamesGold – Mixed Team Compound - Khelo India University GamesPrathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge is a rising star in Indian compound archery. The year 2025 marked a breakthrough season for him, highlighted by standout performances both internationally and domestically.

At the 2025 World Archery Championships in Gwangju, Fuge played a pivotal role in the Indian men’s compound team that clinched gold — a historic first for India in this event — showcasing composure and precision in high-pressure moments.He won gold at the Veronica Cup 2025, a World Archery ranking event in Slovenia, defeating seasoned competitors to lift the title. At the Khelo India University Games 2025, Fuge continued his dominant run by securing double gold medals in both the individual and mixed team compound events, underlining his versatility and competitive depth.Rishabh YadavDate of Birth: August 13, 2002Place of Birth: Gurugram, HaryanaMajor Achievements in 2025:Gold — Mixed Team Compound at Archery World Cup Stage 1Bronze — Individual Men’s Compound at World GamesGold — Men’s Compound Team at 2025 World Archery ChampionshipsSilver — Mixed Team Compound at 2025 World Archery ChampionshipsAchieved a career-high World No. 4 ranking in compound archery (2025)Set a world record - Mixed team compound qualification at the 2025 Archery World CupRishabh Yadav is one of India’s most accomplished compound archers, known for his precision and competitive drive on the global stage.

In 2025, he delivered a standout year that solidified his status in elite archery. At the Archery World Cup in Madrid, Yadav and partner Jyothi Surekha Vennam set a world record in the mixed team compound qualification with a score of 1431, highlighting their remarkable consistency and accuracy.He won gold in the mixed team event at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in the USA, showcasing India’s strength in the compound discipline.

At the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, Yadav earned a bronze medal in the men’s individual compound event, marking India’s first individual archery medal at the Games.His performance peaked at the 2025 World Archery Championships in Gwangju, where he helped India clinch gold in the men’s compound team and silver in the mixed team compound event. Yadav also climbed to a career-high World No. 4 ranking, reflecting his consistency and impact throughout the season.Rishabh’s 2025 season was defined by record-breaking performances, major medals across formats, and leadership in India’s rise in compound archery.Abhishek VermaDate of Birth: June 26, 1989Place of Birth: New Delhi, IndiaMajor Achievements in 2025:Gold – Compound Mixed Team, Asian Archery Championship 2025 (Dhaka)Silver – Men’s Compound Team, Asian Archery Championship 2025 (Dhaka)Bronze – Men’s Team Compound, Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 1 (Auburndale, USA)Set/Equalled national record – Men’s Compound Qualifying Round at National Games 2025 (718/720; equalled world-record score)Abhishek Verma is a veteran Indian compound archer and one of the most decorated athletes in Indian archery history.

In 2025, he continued to lead India’s compound archery contingent with significant contributions on the international stage. At the Asian Archery Championship 2025 in Dhaka, Verma partnered with Deepshikha to win gold in the compound mixed team event and added a silver in the men’s compound team event, underscoring his team leadership and consistency.At the Archery World Cup 2025 Stage 1 in Auburndale, USA, Verma helped India secure a bronze medal in the men’s compound team event, showcasing depth and competitive resilience.

At the National Games 2025, he delivered a remarkable performance in the men’s compound qualifying round, scoring 718/720 to equal the world record and set a new national mark, demonstrating his enduring precision and technical excellence.Atanu DasDate of Birth: April 5, 1992Place of Birth: Baranagar, West BengalMajor Achievements in 2025:Silver – Recurve Men’s Team, Archery World Cup Stage 1, Auburndale, FloridaWinner - Individual - Senior National Archery Championship 2025Atanu Das is an Indian recurve archer and a seasoned competitor on the international circuit.

In 2025, he made a strong comeback after a period away from elite competition, re-earning selection to India’s national team and immediately contributing to team success. At the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Auburndale, Florida, Das, alongside teammates Dhiraj Bommadevara and Tarundeep Rai, secured a silver medal in the men’s recurve team event, demonstrating tactical strength and composure under pressure.Domestically, he dominated at the Senior National Archery Championship 2025 in Hyderabad by winning the Men’s 70 m Singles recurve title, showcasing his experience and consistency against India’s top archers.Ankita BhakatDate of Birth: June 17, 1998Place of Birth: Kolkata, West BengalMajor Achievements in 2025:Silver – Women’s Recurve Team, Archery World Cup Stage 1Podium finish – Women’s Recurve Team event at Archery World Cup circuitReached final stages at Senior National Archery eventsAnkita Bhakat is one of India’s leading recurve archers and a consistent performer on the international circuit. Known for her calm temperament and technical precision, she has been a key member of India’s women’s recurve team in recent years.In 2025, Ankita played an important role in India’s success at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Auburndale, Florida, where the women’s recurve team secured a silver medal. Her steady shooting under pressure once again highlighted her value in team events. Throughout the 2025 season, she remained a regular feature in India’s World Cup squad, contributing to podium finishes and maintaining strong form against top international competitors.Jyothi SurekhaDate of Birth: July 3, 1996Place of Birth: Challapalli, Andhra PradeshMajor Achievements in 2025:Gold – Compound Mixed Team, Archery World Cup Stage 1World record (Mixed Team) – 1431 points at Archery World Cup Stage 4Silver – Women’s Compound Team, Archery World Cup Stage 4Bronze – Mixed Team Compound, Archery World Cup Stage 4Bronze – Women’s Compound Individual, Archery World Cup Final 2025 (first Indian woman to medal at the final)Jyothi Surekha Vennam is one of India’s most accomplished compound archers, known for her precision, consistency, and clutch performances on the international stage.

In 2025, she enjoyed a stellar season, combining individual brilliance with team success. She started the year in strong form by winning gold in the compound mixed team event at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 alongside Rishabh Yadav.At the Archery World Cup Stage 4 in Madrid, she and Rishabh set a mixed team world record of 1431 points, showcasing remarkable consistency and teamwork. She also added a silver in the women’s compound team and bronze in the mixed team at that stage.The highlight of her 2025 campaign came at the Archery World Cup Final, where she became the first Indian woman compound archer to win a medal at the season-ending event, securing bronze in the individual competition with a flawless performance.Deepika KumariDate of Birth: June 13, 1994Place of Birth: Ranchi, JharkhandMajor Achievements in 2025:Bronze — Women’s Recurve Individual at Archery World Cup Stage 2Gold — Women’s Recurve Individual at National GamesDeepika Kumari is one of India’s most accomplished recurve archers and a four-time Olympian, widely recognized for her consistency and resilience at the highest level of competition .

In 2025, Deepika delivered strong performances that reinforced her status as a leading figure in Indian archery. At the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai, she showcased her experience and composure by securing a bronze medal in the women’s recurve individual event — a significant achievement that contributed to India’s overall medal haul and marked her 18th individual World Cup medal .At the National Games 2025 in Uttarakhand, Deepika continued her dominance domestically by winning gold in the women’s recurve individual event, underlining her elite form across both international and national platforms .Deepika’s performance in 2025 highlighted her enduring competitive spirit, technical precision, and leadership as a cornerstone of India’s recurve archery program.Prithika PradeepMajor Achievements in 2025:Silver – Women’s Compound Individual, Asian Archery ChampionshipsGold – Women’s Compound Team, Asian Archery ChampionshipsSilver – Women’s Compound Team, Archery World Cup Stage 4Prithika Pradeep is an emerging Indian compound archer who made a significant impact on the international stage in 2025.

At the 24th Asian Archery Championships held in Dhaka, she delivered a breakthrough performance by reaching the women’s compound individual final and clinching the silver medal, narrowly finishing behind veteran teammate Jyothi Surekha Vennam in an all-Indian summit clash.Prithika also contributed strongly to India’s success in team competition. In Dhaka, she, along with Deepshikha and Jyothi Surekha Vennam, secured the gold medal in the women’s compound team event, showcasing excellent consistency under pressure to defeat South Korea in the final.She also helped the Indian women’s compound team win silver at Archery World Cup Stage 4, demonstrating her growing poise at elite competitions.