From Setbacks To Double Gold: Archer Sahil Jadhav Opens Up On Asian Games Journey

Sahil Jadhav (left) secured double gold in archery at Asiad 2026© Getty

Sahil Jadhav won two gold medals and added to India's medal tally at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Sahil was part of the Indian men's compound archery team that won gold, before partnering with Chikitha Taniparthi to clinch another gold in the compound mixed team event. With this victory, Sahil also secured a quota place for the upcoming 2028 LA Olympics. Speaking to NDTV, Sahil shared his journey from finishing fourth at the World Cup to winning gold at the Asian Games.

Q:  What is the feeling like? Is it relief or excitement—after winning these two gold medals?  

Sahil Jadhav: It's actually a combination of both. There is excitement for the upcoming tournaments, and relief that we finished this tournament at a different level. India got two gold medals from our end. So, that brings a different level of... well, relief. And the rest is there, of course—the ongoing practice and all...  

Q:  Every medal has a story. As far as I know, your story comes via the World Cup. Things didn't go well for you all at the World Cup. From fourth-place finishes to converting it here into a podium finish and bringing home gold... What did you do differently?  

Sahil Jadhav: Honestly, nothing extraordinary. Look, the three of us have great bonding, and things were going really well. But it wasn't like... Just as we were trying our best in the World Cups, in two World Cups we lost in tie-shots, like in a one-arrow shoot-off. And in two matches... in one match our score was a bit low due to the wind conditions, and in another, we lost despite shooting really well. So, we knew we were capable and that it wasn't impossible. We just needed to build a bit more trust in ourselves, make a few tweaks to our training plan, and our coaches also boosted our confidence saying, "No, you can do this". The three of us also took personal responsibility that we had to make it happen.  

Q: That's exactly what your coach was saying about your team bonding and camaraderie. Tell us about the trust you three share and the kind of bond you have as a team.  

Sahil Jadhav: We have a great bond. When you reach a certain situation, there is so much trust among us that we just know... Like at the very end, when two of us had shot our arrows, we knew all three of us could pull it off. In the final moment, I had so much trust in Kushal that I knew he would hit a 10. If it came down to shooting a 10, he would definitely get it no matter what. So that's how it is. A lot of trust has been built because we've been playing tournaments together since January, attending camps together, and competing in many events. To put it simply, we can trust each other blindly.  

Q: That covers the Men's Compound. But you also won another match in the Mixed Team event, which secured the Olympic quota for you. There was a shoot-off there as well. Could you talk about that moment—how did you and Chikita trust each other? How did you inspire her, and how did she inspire you?  

Sahil Jadhav: It was simple—we decided at that moment that we shouldn't try to do anything extra. We just needed to stick to what we had been doing, as we had shot really well up to that point. So the goal was to maintain that momentum. There was just one arrow left. Just one arrow. So we tried not to overthink it as 'the final arrow'; we shot it with the mindset of it being our first arrow. And I knew deep down that if it came to that, she would hit the target and so would I. So that was it. Naturally, there was a bit of nervousness on her end, but the coach and I managed the situation well.  

Q: What does securing an Olympic quota so early mean to you?  

Sahil Jadhav: It isn't really early, considering this is the first time it has come up, and it has been many years since the Olympics started. So it's not early. Given the time it took... it's a wonderful feeling that it came through us and that we were able to deliver it for India. It's a great achievement.  

Q: One last question. You spoke about your struggles, and how for a long time you were stuck in 5th place. Did you ever feel like giving up archery? Did that thought ever cross your mind?  

Sahil Jadhav: Yes, it did. But the thing is... when you finish 5th three or four times, or miss selection by just a fraction of a point, it hurts. When you give 100% in your training for something and it still doesn't happen, naturally you feel, 'Man, it didn't work out'. But my family supported me, and my coaches were there saying, "No, keep going. It doesn't matter if you're falling short by just 1 point; when that +1 point comes, it will take you a very long way". So I just kept pushing forward, and here we are.

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