One point. That was the entire gap between gold and silver when India met China in Aichi-Nagoya.
India claimed the men’s compound team gold on September 30, 2026, winning 238-237 at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square. Sahil Jadhav, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru and Kushal Dalal shared the arrows.
Every figure below is correct as of October 3, 2026. The Games run until October 4, so the total medal table can still change. Nothing about this final can.
Why the Men’s Compound Team Gold Final Was So Tense
China started with six perfect arrows. A 60 is the highest score a team can shoot in one end, and nobody can top it.
India answered with a 58 and trailed by two points almost before the crowd had settled. Not the start anyone wanted.
The scoreboard, end by end
The gap stayed small for most of the match. According to ANI, China led 120-118 at the halfway mark.
After three ends, China still held a one-point edge at 179-178. Anybody watching could feel the pressure climbing.
Then the last end arrived. India shot six straight 10s to finish on 238, as reported by India Sports Hub.
China closed on 237. One Chinese arrow was scored as an eight, and that single lost point decided the medal.
Sahil Jadhav’s perfect record
Asianet News described Sahil as the hero of the final. He hit the gold ring with every arrow he shot in the match.
That kind of record matters in a team event. A shooter who never drops a point lets the other two breathe a little. Sahil gave his partners that cushion.
Reading the Score: What 238 Really Means
A compound team match has four ends. Each end uses six arrows, two from every archer, so the highest possible score is 240.
India finished on 238. The team lost only two points across all 24 arrows, while China lost three.
Where the points went
India’s opening end of 58 accounts for both of those dropped points. If the reported checkpoints are right, India then shot a perfect 60 in each of the last three ends.
China’s numbers tell the mirror story. A 60 to start, another 60 to reach 120, and then small slips of one point and two points in the third and fourth ends.
Why the perfect finish is so rare
Shooting one flawless end under pressure is hard. Three in a row, while trailing at two checkpoints, is a different level of calm.
I think this is the real reason the final will be remembered. Plenty of teams shoot 238 when nothing is at stake. Few do it with a gold medal and a rival one point ahead.
How India Reached the Final
The semi-final was far less nerve-racking. India beat South Korea 236-229 to book the title match, according to ANI.
Seven points is a comfortable margin in compound archery. The trio carried that confidence into the final.
Wednesday turned into a big day for the whole compound squad. The women’s team beat China 238-234, and Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil won the mixed team gold against South Korea.
That made the men’s final India’s third compound gold of the day. Sahil ended the day with two golds around his neck.
Think about the schedule for a moment. The men’s trio walked out for a title match with two Indian golds already won, and a third was theirs to lose. That is a different kind of pressure from chasing a first medal.
The Three Archers Behind the Win
None of these three came out of nowhere. Each had already beaten strong fields in 2025.
Sahil Jadhav
Sahil was born on April 11, 2001. At the 2025 World University Games, he won the men’s compound individual gold.
He beat his own teammate Kushal in the semi-final of that event. The match was decided in a shoot-off.
His route to that gold was tough. He won the final 149-148 against Scott of Great Britain, and a single point separated them.
His team also took silver at the same Games, losing 231-232 to Turkey. A single point cost them gold that day, which makes the Nagoya final feel like a payback.
Kushal Dalal
Kushal won mixed team gold at the 2025 World University Games with Parneet Kaur. He also won the GT Open Indoor World Series title in Luxembourg in November 2025.
In that final he beat former world number one Stephen Hansen of the United States. It took a rare double shoot-off.
He also reached the bronze-medal match at the 2025 World University Games individual event but lost it 148-150 to Konecki of Poland. Outlook India reports that he dedicated the Asian Games gold to his mother.
Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru
Ganesh comes from Andhra Pradesh. In August 2025, he helped India win its first-ever junior world title in the men’s compound under-21 team event.
His partners that day were Kushal Dalal and Mihir Apar. The final against Germany was tied at 233 each, and India won the shoot-off.
Stats at a Glance
Only the knockout results confirmed by published match reports appear below. Earlier rounds are left out because their scores were not consistent across sources.
| Stage | Opponent | Score | Result |
| Semi-final | South Korea | 236-229 | India won |
| Final | China | 238-237 | India won |
A second table covers the three archers and what each had won before Nagoya.
| Archer | Notable 2025 result |
| Sahil Jadhav | World University Games individual gold |
| Kushal Dalal | GT Open Indoor World Series title |
| Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru | Under-21 team world title |
The Statesman also notes that 238 equals the world record set by South Korea at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. Treat that comparison as the newspaper’s claim, since record lists can differ by event format.
What This Gold Means for Indian Archery
India has lost this kind of match before. In 2018, the men’s team went down to South Korea in a shoot-off after the final finished level at 229-229.
So the nerve shown in Aichi-Nagoya is not a small thing. Sahil and Kushal lost a team final by a point in 2025, then won one by a point in 2026.
Here is my honest view. The comeback matters more than the medal color. Trailing at every checkpoint and still finishing with a perfect last end is something coaches will show young archers for years.
Another thing stands out. The semi-final margin was seven points, yet the final was decided by one. Matches against China are usually tighter than matches against anyone else, and this one proved it.
The wider picture is mixed, though. At Hangzhou 2023, Indian compound archers swept all five gold medals.
In Aichi-Nagoya they took three golds and one bronze, so the individual titles slipped away. Ganesh’s bronze was the only individual compound medal India collected.
Latest News Note
On October 1, 2026, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru added an individual bronze, ending India’s compound campaign with three golds and one bronze. ANI, citing ESPN, put India’s total tally at 63 medals that day, made up of 10 gold, 22 silver and 31 bronze.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the trio on September 30, 2026. He praised their accuracy and teamwork.
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also sent his wishes, with a special mention for Ganesh.
Key Takeaways
- Final score: India 238-237 China, September 30, 2026.
- Team: Sahil Jadhav, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru and Kushal Dalal.
- Semi-final: India beat South Korea 236-229.
- Deciding moment: six straight 10s in the final end.
- Sahil Jadhav: two golds on the same day, including the mixed team event.
- Compound archery total: three golds and one bronze at Aichi-Nagoya.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the men’s compound team gold at the Asian Games 2026?
India won, with Sahil Jadhav, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru and Kushal Dalal in the team.
What was the score in the final?
The final finished 238-237 in India’s favour on September 30, 2026.
Who did India beat in the semi-final?
South Korea lost that match 236-229.
Did Sahil Jadhav win more than one gold?
Yes, he won the men’s team gold and the mixed team gold with Chikitha Taniparthi on the same day.
How many compound medals did India win in Aichi-Nagoya?
India won three gold medals and one bronze medal in compound archery.
Conclusion
The men’s compound team gold went to India by a single point, and it came from a perfect final end after trailing at every checkpoint. As of October 3, 2026, that 238-237 win over China stands as one of the best finishes of the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Sahil, Ganesh and Kushal were already winners in 2025. Now they have an Asian Games title to go with it.