In the World Games 2025, Rishabh Yadav etched his name into the history books by clinching India’s first individual medal, securing a bronze in the men’s compound archery event, yesterday in Chengdu, China. The 22-year-old, seeded 10th, outclassed senior teammate and multiple World Cup gold medallist Abhishek Verma 149–147 in a high-quality bronze medal match. Yadav maintained a slender lead from the opening end, showing remarkable composure to finish with nine consecutive perfect 10s.
In the women’s compound category, the challenge ended in the quarterfinals, with Parneet Kaur and Madhura Dhamangaonkar bowing out to higher-seeded opponents. The biggest setback came in the compound mixed team event, where top seeds Verma and Dhamangaonkar—favourites after topping qualifications—were stunned in the opening round by South Korea’s Moon Yeeun and Lee Eunho. A 17-member Indian team is competing in these games, running until August 17.
The World Games, held every four years since 1981, showcase sports not included in the Olympic program. India has been participating in these games since the inaugural edition in 1981, and has won a total of five medals to date, including one gold, one silver, and three bronze prior to this year’s edition. The country’s only gold medal came in 2013, when Aditya Mehta triumphed in billiards. This time India is participating in five sports – Archery, Billiards, Roller Skating, Wushu, and Racquetball.
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