Young Archer Rahul Wins Silver at Asian Championships, Eyes Asian Games Medal

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Mumbai: At just 21 years old, archer Rahul has already achieved more than he initially set out to. The young recurve archer from Haryana's Jhajjar was primarily focused on performing well and building towards the 2026 Asian Games trials when he entered the national trials for the Asian Championships. However, he exceeded expectations by securing an individual silver medal and team gold in the recent tournament in Dhaka. Rahul, who is part of the new-look Indian men's recurve team, defeated South Korea to win the gold medal alongside Atanu Das and Yashdeep Bhoge. He also beat Korean archer Seo Mingi in the individual semi-finals before losing to Paris Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara. The young archer, whose father is a bus driver and comes from a family of farmers, expressed his surprise at winning his first senior medal in the individual event. 'Going into the Asian Championships, I thought things might change for me. We were confident about the team medal, but I never imagined that I would also win an individual silver,' he said. Rahul's surge in confidence is evident, and he credits his performance to the silver medal. 'The silver gave me the belief that I can compete and do well in the individual event as well. Plus the fact that I beat a Korean in the semi-final,' he added. Rahul's journey to the top began around a decade ago when he was drawn to the sport of archery. He was initially attracted to the ground adjacent to the akhara in his village, where some people were trying archery. His interest in archery grew during the pandemic, and he started picking up scores in domestic competitions. However, it was only when he joined the army a year-and-a-half ago that he gained access to better training grounds, coaching, and equipment. Reliance Foundation then came in earlier this year, providing added support like an exposure training trip to Korea before the Worlds. Rahul trains at the Army Sports Institute in Pune alongside the likes of Dhiraj. 'Training with them helps me get mentally stronger. Because, I have to compete with them first to just get into the Indian team,' he said. With his newfound confidence and the support of his team, Rahul is now focused on the 2026 Asian Games. 'The trials are coming up in a month, and I want to fully focus on that,' he said. 'These medals have given a big boost, but the Asian Games is my goal.'