Jyothi Surekha Vennam Creates History as First Indian Woman to Win Medal at Archery World Cup Final

Nanjing (China), Oct 2025 : Star Indian archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam made history on Saturday by becoming the first Indian woman compound archer to win a medal at the Archery World Cup Final, clinching a well-deserved bronze in Nanjing.

The third-seeded Jyothi produced a flawless performance in the bronze medal match, defeating Britain’s Ella Gibson, the second seed, 150–145, after shooting perfect 10s with all 15 arrows — a rare feat at the elite level.

Jyothi, the reigning Asian Games champion, began her campaign with a confident 143–140 quarterfinal victory over the USA’s Alexis Ruiz. In the semifinals, she narrowly lost to world No. 1 Andrea Becerra of Mexico in a thrilling 143–145 encounter. Unfazed by the setback, Jyothi came back stronger in the bronze medal contest, dominating from start to finish to secure her place in Indian sporting history.

Currently ranked world No. 3 in women’s compound archery, Jyothi qualified for the season-ending event based on her ranking. This was her third consecutive appearance at the World Cup Final, following earlier outings in Tlaxcala (2022) and Hermosillo (2023).

In the same category, fellow Indian Madhura Dhamangaonkar exited early after a 142–145 loss to Mexico’s Mariana Bernal in the opening round.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Yadav, who won the compound mixed team title at Auburndale earlier this year alongside Jyothi, is set to compete in the men’s compound event, where he faces South Korea’s Kim Jongho in the quarterfinals later in the day.

All archers at the Nanjing Final qualified by winning one of the four World Cup stages — held in Auburndale, Shanghai, Antalya, and Madrid — or through their overall World Cup rankings.

India enjoyed a strong World Cup season in 2025, securing 14 medals across stages — three gold, four silver, and seven bronze. Notably, Madhura Dhamangaonkar clinched India’s only individual gold of the season, while Jyothi’s latest triumph adds another proud milestone to Indian archery’s growing success story.