Rajasthan Crowns Its 2026 Junior Archery Champions

Precision, Upsets, and Home Turf Dominance

At the shooting line in Sri Ganganagar, the midday wind doesn’t ask for excuses; it demands absolute mechanical rhythm.

Over three grueling days of intense target action, the Rajasthan Junior Archery Championship 2026 transformed into a masterclass of nerve and precision. Featuring 358 registered competitors from every archery hotbed in the state—from Jaipur and Bikaner to Barmer and Alwar—the tournament delivered runaway masterclasses, bracket upsets, and a historic home-district podium sweep.

With spots on the line for the upcoming Junior National Archery Championship, the Under-21 division finals settled who commands the state's pecking order.

Tournament Snapshot

• Host City / Venue: Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan

• Dates: September 10–13, 2026

• Athlete Field: 358 registered competitors

• Disciplines: Compound (C), Recurve (R), Indian Round (IR)

• Categories: Under-21 Men & Women, Under-18 Men & Women

• Live Scoring Engine: ATS Results Hub

Division Breakdown: How the Medals Were Won

1. Compound Under-21 Men (CU21M): Vasu Yadav’s Masterclass

The Men's Compound division witnessed one of the most ruthless qualification and elimination displays in recent state history. Alwar’s Vasu Yadav put on an absolute shooting clinic, topping the 72-arrow qualification round with an astonishing 710 / 720 (355 in both halves, featuring 32 Xs and 30 10s).

Yadav carried that dominance straight into match play, holding off Sri Ganganagar’s own Prabal Pratap in a high-octane gold medal final. Bundi’s Akash Khandal fought through a stacked elimination bracket to round out the podium with bronze.

• 🥇 Gold: Vasu Yadav (Alwar) — Qual Score: 710 (Rank 1)

• 🥈 Silver: Prabal Pratap (Sri Ganganagar) — Qual Score: 702 (Rank 6)

• 🥉 Bronze: Akash Khandal (Bundi) — Qual Score: 697 (Rank 12)

• Fourth Place: Aditya Bhati (Jodhpur) — Qual Score: 694

• Notable Qualifiers: Pradhuman Yadav (Alwar, 705), Ashok Limba (Bikaner, 704), Aryan Pareek (Hanumangarh, 704).

2. Compound Under-21 Women (CU21W): Yagini Shocks the Field

Sikar’s Shivani looked untouchable during the ranking session, claiming the No. 1 overall seed with a blistering 693 (including 20 Xs and 26 10s). But elimination archery under match pressure is an entirely different beast.

Hanumangarh's Yagini (qualifying 3rd with 677) mounted a relentless charge through the bracket rounds. Matching Shivani arrow-for-arrow, Yagini seized control in the medal match to snatch the gold medal away in a stunning final. In the bronze clash, Jodhpur’s Aruna capped off an inspired underdog run from the 12th seed to claim third on the podium over Jaipur's Bhavya Kanwar.

• 🥇 Gold: Yagini (Hanumangarh) — Qual Score: 677 (Rank 3)

• 🥈 Silver: Shivani (Sikar) — Qual Score: 693 (Rank 1)

• 🥉 Bronze: Aruna (Jodhpur) — Qual Score: 653 (Rank 12)

• Fourth Place: Bhavya Kanwar (Jaipur) — Qual Score: 677

3. Recurve Under-21 Men (RU21M): Barmer's Krish Kumar Rules the Sets

Olympic recurve at 70 meters is pure psychological chess, and the Men’s U21 bracket proved it. Jaipur standout Atharva Sharma set the pace early, clinching the top qualification seed with a composed 653 (324 + 329).

However, the headline performance came courtesy of Barmer’s Krish Kumar. Entering the elimination rounds seeded 7th (643), Kumar navigated windy afternoon conditions, turning close ends into clutch set-point victories. In the gold medal clash, Kumar held his nerve against the top-seeded Sharma, taking the state title back to Barmer. Jaipur’s Vivek Kumawat joined them on the podium, taking home bronze.

• 🥇 Gold: Krish Kumar (Barmer) — Qual Score: 643 (Rank 7)

• 🥈 Silver: Atharva Sharma (Jaipur) — Qual Score: 653 (Rank 1)

• 🥉 Bronze: Vivek Kumawat (Jaipur) — Qual Score: 636 (Rank 11)

• Fourth Place: Narendra Jat (CSTSF) — Qual Score: 647

4. Recurve Under-21 Women (RU21W): Dhriti Sharma Takes the Crown

In the Women’s Recurve division, Nagaur's Khushi Kumawat led the field through the ranking round with a tournament-best 627. But once the knockout bracket began, Jaipur’s second-seeded Dhriti Sharma (615) found another gear.

Sharma dominated her matches with surgical grouping, punching her ticket to the final against Sri Ganganagar favorite Kalpna Regar (599). While the home crowd rallied behind Regar, Sharma’s steady shot execution under tight timing secured the gold for Jaipur. DSPESS archer Khushboo Jawa earned a well-deserved bronze medal after a grueling battle against Jodhpur's Samriddhi Parihar.

• 🥇 Gold: Dhriti Sharma (Jaipur) — Qual Score: 615 (Rank 2)

• 🥈 Silver: Kalpna Regar (Sri Ganganagar) — Qual Score: 599 (Rank 4)

• 🥉 Bronze: Khushboo Jawa (DSPESS) — Qual Score: 575 (Rank 9)

• Fourth Place: Samriddhi Parihar (Jodhpur) — Qual Score: 583

5. Indian Round Under-21 Men (IRU21M): Yuvraj Verma Clinches Gold

The traditional bow class—reliant on instinctive aim and raw wooden equipment—delivered the biggest athlete draw and loudest shooting lines in Sri Ganganagar.

CSTSF’s Shobhit Jangid set the target ablaze during qualification with a massive 660 (including 15 Xs and 16 10s), closely followed by Jaipur’s Arpit Badiwal (652). But the elimination rounds belonged to 5th-seed Yuvraj Verma of Jaipur (640). Verma navigated tricky crosswinds to capture the state gold medal, outlasting Bikaner’s Ram Kailash Bishnoi in a gritty silver-medal tilt. Jangid rallied back in the bronze final to lock down a podium spot.

• 🥇 Gold: Yuvraj Verma (Jaipur) — Qual Score: 640 (Rank 5)

• 🥈 Silver: Ram Kailash Bishnoi (Bikaner) — Qual Score: 624 (Rank 11)

• 🥉 Bronze: Shobhit Jangid (CSTSF) — Qual Score: 660 (Rank 1)

• Fourth Place: Manish Khatod (Bikaner) — Qual Score: 624

6. Indian Round Under-21 Women (IRU21W): Sri Ganganagar Sweeps the Podium!

The defining moment of the championship unfolded on the women's Indian Round target line.

While Bikaner’s Pratibha Kandara owned the morning session with a dominant 631 qualification score, the elimination rounds turned into an unprecedented home-turf masterclass. Three archers from host city Sri Ganganagar swept all three medals on the podium:

• 🥇 Gold: Rekha (Sri Ganganagar) — Qual Score: 586 (Rank 5)

• 🥈 Silver: Maitalee (Sri Ganganagar) — Qual Score: 584 (Rank 6)

• 🥉 Bronze: Suhana (Sri Ganganagar) — Qual Score: 580 (Rank 8)

• Fourth Place: Khushi Sarsawat (DSPESS) — Qual Score: 520

With Rekha edging out teammate Maitalee in an all-Sri Ganganagar gold medal showdown, the local stands erupted, marking the host district's greatest single-event sweep in tournament history.

Podium Summary Table