Neeraj Chauhan Wins All-Indian Asian Games Bronze Clash; President Murmu Hails Recurve Archery Milestone

President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Indian archer Neeraj Chauhan after he defeated compatriot Dhiraj Bommadevara 6-4 to claim the men’s individual recurve bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. The all-Indian medal contest at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park gave India another podium finish in a strong archery campaign at Aichi-Nagoya. IANS News

Murmu said having two Indian archers contest the bronze-medal match itself was a notable moment for Indian recurve archery and described Neeraj’s medal as another addition to the country’s strong individual recurve showing at the Games. IANS News

Neeraj Beats Dhiraj 6-4 in Tight Bronze-Medal Match

The bronze playoff developed into a five-set contest between two Indian teammates.

Neeraj took the opening set 29-26, but Dhiraj responded by winning the next two 28-27 and 29-28, moving 4-2 ahead in set points. Neeraj then produced a perfect fourth set, shooting three 10s for a score of 30 to level the match at 4-4. Web India News

The final set decided the medal.

Dhiraj recovered from an opening eight to finish with 28, while Neeraj scored 10, 9 and 10 for 29, securing the set and a 6-4 victory. Web India News

The result left Dhiraj fourth in the individual competition, while Neeraj collected the bronze.

President Murmu Calls It a Special Moment for Indian Archery

In her message, President Murmu congratulated Neeraj and highlighted the unusual significance of both competitors in the bronze-medal playoff representing India.

She said the medal strengthened India’s presence on the individual recurve podium and wished Neeraj further success. IANS News

The result also carried historical significance. Hindustan Times reported that Neeraj’s bronze was India’s first individual men’s recurve medal at the Asian Games in 16 years. Hindustan Times

Both Indians Had Fallen in the Semifinals

Neeraj and Dhiraj reached the bronze contest after losing their respective semifinals.

Neeraj went down 1-7 to Japan’s Junya Nakanishi, while Dhiraj lost 3-7 to South Korea’s Lee Woo-seok. NDTV Sports

That set up the all-Indian third-place match, guaranteeing India a medal before the first arrow was fired.

Dhiraj had entered the knockout stage as the top seed after an outstanding qualification performance. He shot 698 out of 720, setting a new Asian Games record and finishing five points ahead of South Korea’s Kim Je-deok. World Archery

Dhiraj Still Leaves With Two Silver Medals

Although Dhiraj missed an individual medal, he had already contributed significantly to India’s archery campaign.

He won mixed recurve silver with Kumkum Mohod and was part of the Indian men’s recurve team with Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge that secured another silver medal. The Indian Express

That meant both Neeraj and Dhiraj had already shared a team podium before facing each other for individual bronze.

India Finish Asian Games Archery With Nine Medals

Neeraj’s bronze completed another highly productive Asian Games archery campaign for India.

India finished the archery programme with nine medals — five gold, two silver and two bronze. IANS News

Seventeen-year-old Kumkum Mohod was among the standout performers. She became the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games individual recurve gold after defeating South Korea’s Oh Yejin in a shoot-off. She also won women’s recurve team gold alongside Ankita Bhakat and Kirti Sharma and mixed-team silver with Dhiraj. IANS News

India also won gold in the men’s and women’s compound team competitions and in the compound mixed team event. IANS News

India Record Podium Finishes Across All Recurve Events

Neeraj’s bronze had another important effect on the overall recurve campaign.

According to Hindustan Times, India achieved podium finishes in all five recurve events at Aichi-Nagoya — men’s individual, women’s individual, men’s team, women’s team and mixed team. Hindustan Times

The result underlines the depth of India’s recurve squad, particularly in a discipline traditionally dominated at the Asian level by South Korea.

Key Facts

Medal winner: Neeraj Chauhan
Event: Men’s individual recurve archery
Result: Neeraj Chauhan beat Dhiraj Bommadevara 6-4
Venue: Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square, Japan
Neeraj semifinal: Lost 1-7 to Junya Nakanishi
Dhiraj semifinal: Lost 3-7 to Lee Woo-seok
Dhiraj qualification score: 698, an Asian Games record
India’s final archery tally: Five gold, two silver and two bronze medals. World Archery

Why the Bronze Matters

The medal is significant beyond the colour of the podium finish.

An all-Indian bronze contest meant the country had two athletes among the final four in the men’s recurve individual event. It also came after both archers contributed to India’s team success earlier in the Games.

For Neeraj, the victory delivered an individual Asian Games medal after a tense comeback from 4-2 down.

For Indian archery more broadly, it completed a campaign in which recurve athletes reached the podium across every event on the programme. Hindustan Times

FAQs

Who won the men’s recurve bronze at Asian Games 2026?

Neeraj Chauhan won bronze after defeating fellow Indian Dhiraj Bommadevara 6-4. NDTV Sports

What did President Droupadi Murmu say about Neeraj Chauhan?

President Murmu congratulated Neeraj and said having two Indians in the bronze-medal match was a special moment for Indian recurve archery. IANS News

What was the final set score between Neeraj and Dhiraj?

Neeraj won the deciding fifth set 29-28, sealing the match 6-4. Web India News

Did Dhiraj Bommadevara win other medals at Asian Games 2026?

Yes. Dhiraj won mixed-team silver with Kumkum Mohod and men’s recurve team silver with Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge. The Indian Express

How many archery medals did India win?

India completed the Asian Games archery programme with nine medals: five gold, two silver and two bronze. Web India News

Sources

IANS — President Murmu congratulates Neeraj Chauhan
Read IANS report

World Archery — Dhiraj Bommadevara sets Asian Games qualification record
Read World Archery report

NDTV Sports — Neeraj beats Dhiraj for bronze
Read match report

Hindustan Times — Neeraj’s bronze caps India’s recurve campaign
Read Hindustan Times report