India to have representation on and off field at World Archery Championships

When the world's best field archers gather in Yankton, South Dakota, this September, India will be represented in more ways than one.

On the competition course, Rishabh Yadav, Abhishek Verma, Aman Saini, and Parneet Kaur will compete for India in the compound division at the 2026 World Archery Field Championships, scheduled from September 22 to 27. Once the Field Championships conclude, the world's top 3D archers will take centre stage at the World Archery 3D Championships, to be held from September 28 to October 3.

Away from the targets, another Indian will be entrusted with one of the competition's most important responsibilities.

Punjab-born Lalit Jain has been appointed as the Results Coordinator for both championships, overseeing live scoring, target assignments, the IANSEO competition management system, and the official results process throughout the events. Jain will carry out the role as part of the Local Organising Committee through the National Field Archery Association (NFAA).

Although spectators primarily see the athletes competing on the course, international archery depends heavily on the accuracy of its results operations. Every score entered into the system determines rankings, qualification, eliminations and official records, making the role one of the most critical behind the scenes.

"International championships rely on precision both on the shooting line and behind the scenes. My responsibility is to ensure every score is captured accurately and reaches athletes, coaches and fans in real time," Jain said.

A role earned through experience

Jain currently serves as Scoring and Events Coordinator at the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) in the United States, where he manages scoring technology and competition operations for national events.

Before this appointment, he worked on several major World Archery competitions, including the 2025 Indoor World Series – Great Chicago Open, the 2025 World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, Canada, and the 2026 Indoor World Series Finals in Las Vegas. His selection for the Field and 3D World Championships continues a growing international portfolio of technical appointments.

According to World Archery Executive Director Juan Carlos Holgado, results coordinators for the federation's premier events are not selected through an open recruitment process. Instead, World Archery identifies individuals from within the international archery community based on their technical expertise, operational experience and professional standing. Holgado noted that the pool of professionals qualified to perform the role at the highest level of the sport is limited, with Jain earning repeated appointments to World Archery competitions over the past two years.

Athlete and tournament official

Jain's understanding of elite competition extends beyond tournament operations.

Originally from Punjab, he competed in India for more than a decade before moving to the United States. During his competitive career, he won a team silver medal at the 2018 South Asian Archery Championships and later established himself in American archery by winning the 2023 NFAA Indoor National Championship and the 2023 NFAA Field National Championship, alongside multiple podium finishes at national competitions.

That combination of competitive experience and event management has helped shape his transition into international tournament operations.

India eyes strong showing

India's four-member compound contingent will look to make its mark in a discipline that has traditionally received less attention than Olympic target archery. Field archery presents a unique challenge, with competitors shooting across natural terrain at targets positioned at varying elevations and distances, demanding a different skill set from conventional target competition.

As Indian archers compete against the world's best in Yankton, Jain will be responsible for ensuring that every score is accurately recorded and processed—helping deliver one of the most important championships on the international archery calendar.

The championships will once again demonstrate India's growing footprint in global archery, with the country represented not only by athletes chasing medals but also by an Indian tournament official entrusted with delivering the sport's biggest events.