Big medal boost for India as compound archery makes historic debut at LA Olympics 2028

India receive massive medal boost as compound archery set to make historic debut at LA Olympics 2028 (PTI Photo)

For the first time ever in Olympic history, compound archers will have the opportunity to compete for a medal at the greatest sporting spectacle. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, April 9, announced that mixed team compound event will be added to the archery programme at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. This makes a significant milestone for Olympic Archery, which has exclusively featured Recurve events since the sport’s re-inclusion to the Games in Munich 1972.

With this move, the total number of Olympic Archery medals rises to six — the earlier five being, men’s doubles and individual, women’s doubles and individual, and the mixed team in Recurve, ensuring gender parity and maintaining the sport’s athlete quota in LA. Team events were introduced in 1988, and the recurve mixed team event became the fifth archery medal event when it debuted at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“This is a monumental step forward for the sport for the millions of compound archers worldwide who have sought Olympic recognition”, said World Archery president, Prof Dr Uger Erdener, who was recently honoured with the Olympic Order for his contribution to international sport.

“My profound gratitude goes to the International Olympic Committee, not least IOC president Thomas Bach (now former) for his great interest in this project and the LA28 Organising Committee for their support throughout the process”, he added.

Originally invented in the United States, compound archery utilises a system of cams and pulleys for increased power and precision. Since it’s debut at the World Archery Championships in 1995, compound archery has seen rapid growth and development, featuring at the World Games since 2013, and at recent, in the continental multisport events, like the Asian Games.

Speaking to World Archery, secretary general Tom Dielen said: "Since the launch of the Archery World Cup in 2006, Recurve and Compound have been treated as equals in participation, promotion and prize money."

For India, it marks a significant chance at a medal, as there is a pool of talented compound archers in the Indian circuit doing well at the international stage. To name a few, Ojas Pravin Deotale, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Gopichand Swami, Abhishek Verma are some of the top compound archers in the country.

In the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Indian archery contingent bagged 9 medals out of which 7 were from the compound team, including 5 golds. Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam clinched gold in both the mixed team event—now an official Olympic discipline — and their respective individual categories.