International archery returns to India after 22 years, Delhi bags Asia Cup leg

After more than two decades, India is set to host a major international archery competition again, with Delhi awarded the second leg of the Asia Cup Archery tournament in 2027 . The event will mark the country’s return to hosting a global competition in the sport after a gap of 22 years .

The decision was approved by World Archery Asia during a meeting in Kolkata. The last time India staged a major international tournament was the Asian Archery Championships 2005 in New Delhi.

The development followed discussions between Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol, president of World Archery Asia, and Virendra Sachdeva, secretary general of the Archery Association of India. Chapol, who is currently on a visit to Kolkata, expressed confidence that Delhi would be well equipped to host the tournament .

“We are positive about Delhi hosting it and there should not be any problem. If the Archery Association of India wants, they will host it,” Chapol said. He also revealed that Delhi is being considered as a venue for the Commonwealth Archery Championships next year , which could further strengthen India’s presence on the international archery calendar.

India will also host another major event this year, with Ahmedabad set to organise the Asian Para Archery Championships in September , bringing top para archers from across the continent to the country.

Meanwhile, Kolkata will return to the international circuit as it prepares to stage the South Asian Archery Championships 2026 , its first international archery event since hosting the Asian Archery Grand Prix 2009.

The upcoming season will be particularly demanding for archers as the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) during September and October, remains the biggest target of the year.

Indian archers will begin their international campaign at the opening stage of the Asia Cup Archery 2026 in Bangkok from March 21 to 26. The second leg is planned in Iraq in April, though its staging remains uncertain due to ongoing tensions in West Asia, while China will host the final leg in November.

On the global circuit, the season will begin with the opening stage of the Archery World Cup in Puebla (Mexico) from April 7 to 12, followed by events in Shanghai (China) and Antalya (Turkey).

For Indian archery, the return of international competitions to home soil represents a significant milestone , offering local athletes the chance to compete against the world’s best in front of a home crowd while strengthening the sport’s growing stature in the country.