In a landmark development for Indian archery, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, April 9, confirmed the addition of a compound mixed team event to the archery at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This marks a historic first for compound archery at the Olympic Games, which has so far featured only recurve events.
This debut will mark a major shift in Olympics History as since archery was reintroduced in 1972 it solely focused on recurve disciplines. The format has evolved during these years, from the inception of individual recurve events to the first team competitions held in 1988, and of course, the first-ever mixed team recurve event introduced in Tokyo 2020. Now, after decades of enthusiastic struggle and anticipation, an entirely new bow type will be brought into Olympic competition.
The compound mixed team event was included after World Archery, the global governing body of the sport, had proposed it earlier but was rejected in October 2023. The proposal indicates how the sport is radically changing and its increasing appeal around the world.
IOC’s Green Light Welcomed Worldwide
World Archery President Prof. Dr. Ugur Erdener hailed the decision, calling it a pivotal moment for the sport.
“This is a monumental step forward for the sport and for the millions of compound archers worldwide who have long sought Olympic recognition,” said Erdener.
“My profound gratitude goes to the International Olympic Committee, not least IOC President Thomas Bach for his great interest in this important project, and the LA28 Organising Committee for their support throughout the process.”
Equal Footing for Compound Archery
In the world arena, both forms of archery- compound and recurve- are almost at par regarding recognition, the prize purse, and the medal haul. Equally prestigious events like the World Archery Championships and the Archery World Cup bestow equal honour upon both disciplines.
Another landmark with the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou would be the fact that compound archery was held for the first time across five categories, matching the scale of recurve. And India made an audacious statement.
India's Golden Run at the Asian Games
Indian archers achieved a clean sweep of compound events at the Asian Games, winning all five gold medals and signalling the depth of talent the country possesses in this format. Individual titles were clinched by Ojas Pravin Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam, while gold medals were also awarded to the men’s, women’s and mixed teams.
This resounding victory places India among strong contenders in this newly added Olympic event. At the moment, the country is ranked No. 2 in the world for compound mixed team archery, right behind the United States. India, on the other hand, is ranked first in women's compound team archery and a close second to Turkey in the women's individual rankings.
Jyothi Surekha Vennam: India's Compound Star
Among the star athletes to expect sometime in LA is Jyothi Surekha Vennam, one of India's most decorated archers. Eight world championship medals, India’s first world title in Compound archery, and 20 World Cup medals, including ten gold medals, are some prestigious accolades proudly owned by her.
Her glorious moment was in Hangzhou, where she created history by winning gold in all three events—individual, women's team, and mixed team compound. In addition to it, she and Ojas Pravin Deotale had won mixed team gold in the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Antalya (April 2023), missing world record status narrowly with a score of 159-154 against Chinese Taipei.
“We were competing in the qualification round of the Archery World Cup in Florida when we got the news,” Jyothi recalled. “I think this is a great situation for Indian archery and we are still waiting for this feeling to sink in. We have been shooting for a very long time without thinking we could compete at the Olympics.”
“Even recently one compound archer left the sport to take up recurve bow because there was the chance that he could compete at the Olympics (Prathamesh Jawkar). There is of course no bigger stage than the Olympics.”
A New Era for Indian Archery
The introduction of compound archery at the Olympic Games is expected to further energize the sport in India and around the world.
“We cannot just take it easy going into the Olympics,” Jyothi added. “I think there will be a lot more interest in compound archery now. It was already very competitive at the international level but with it as an Olympic sport, things will, of course, be a little different.”
With LA 2028 on the horizon, India’s archery dreams have never looked brighter.