Archer Rishabh Yadav focuses on Asian Games, 2028 Olympics after slump

Compound archer Rishabh Yadav has taken a minor slump, following his breakthrough year, in stride as he focuses on the upcoming Asian Games and the 2028 Olympics.

The 23-year-old, who won medals in the World Championships, World Games, and World Cup stages in 2025, finished sixth in the first Open selection trials for the Asian Games and the first two World Cup stages in January.

“In the first segment, I had an average of 708 in three qualification rounds, whereas the top-ranked archer [Ojas Deotale] shot an average of 711. Then, out of 11 round robin matches, three or four went into shoot-off and unluckily I lost all of them. In the last segment, the elimination round, I finished second and lost the last match via shoot-off,” Rishabh Yadav told The Hindu, reflecting on his slump.

“In sports, the performance graph goes up and down,” Rishabh Yadav added as he joined the National camp in Kolkata on Sunday (March 15, 2026) in the run-up to Stage 1 of the Asia Cup in Bangkok, which starts on March 23.

Thanking his long-time mentor Abhishek Verma for his continuous guidance, Rishabh Yadav aimed to do well in the second selection trials and get into the Indian side for the Asian Games.

“The Vegas Shoot [March 27 to 29] offered more world ranking points but I chose the Asia Cup stage. This is the best opportunity to prepare for the Asian Games as there will be good participation,” said Rishabh Yadav, while expecting a stiff competition among top-10 Indian archers in the trials for Asian Games berths.

Beyond the Asiad, Rishabh Yadav, who played a crucial role in helping India secure its maiden men’s team gold (with Prathamesh Fuge and Aman Saini) and a mixed team silver (with V. Jyothi Surekha) in the 2025 Gwangju World championships, is keen to shine in the Olympics where compound archery will make its debut with the mixed team event.

“If I’m partnering with a junior archer, then she should trust me. If I’m partnering with someone like Jyothi didi, then I’ve to trust her completely. I’ve to be mentally strong so that I can do my part in every situation,” said Rishabh Yadav.