Country edition: India
Sports Cockpit · Full roadmap · Archery

Archery — Step-by-Step Roadmap

Governed by World Archery · Archery Association of India (AAI) ·Last checked 16 Oct 2026

The whole Archery journey, 0 to 100, in order: the four stages from a local club to the international level, who can start, the detailed route with trials and selection rules, what is open at every age, where to train, who pays, and the jobs and money after. Every step is taken from the same official sources as the main Archery guide.

← Full Archery guide
01 Four stages, in order

Zero to podium — the four stages

  1. Stage 1 · 9–18 · 10–18 Grassroots & local entry

    SAI's KIRTI tests (9–18); top 3 at district or state championships may sit SAI selection trials. Archery also runs in STC extension centres at schools. [13][11]

  2. Stage 2 · U15–U21 State to national breakthrough

    Archery Association of India nationals; KIYG 2026 lists archery, and Junior Nationals and KIYG medals count for jobs. SAI Training Centres take 12–18. [11][21][16]

  3. Stage 3 · Scouted · senior National camp & elite trials

    NCOEs at Kolkata, Sonepat, Guwahati, Imphal; selection trials and the national camp pick squads for World Cups, Asian Games and LA28 qualifiers. [11]

  4. Stage 4 · LA28 International orbit

    Shoot the MQS (recurve 70 m: 650 men, 620 women) at a World Archery event, then win a quota at the 2027 Worlds (Medellín), continental events or final qualifiers. India won one at the 2026 Asian Games. [3][4]

Fuel, from stage 1: food first. Pair cereals with pulses about 3:1 — roti or rice with dal, chana or rajma; vegetarians add milk or curd, others eggs, fish or meat. ICMR-NIN says most athletes get enough protein from food and protein powders are unnecessary; NADA warns that no supplement is risk-free. [22][10]

02 Physical benchmarks & NADA clearance

Age classes, age tests and anti-doping

World Archery age classes [2]

World Archery age classes
ClassYou may shoot it
U15Up to and in the year of your 14th birthday
U18Up to and in the year of your 17th birthday
U21Up to and in the year of your 20th birthday
50+From the year of your 50th birthday
  • SAI's Age Verification Test applies to boys up to 17 and girls up to 15: a doctor's physical examination, a dentist's examination and an X-ray (TW3 method) — the age certificate is signed by all three experts and matched against the claimed age.
  • Bring a birth certificate, matriculation certificate, passport or Aadhaar. An athlete who disagrees can appeal to the Medical Appellate Board at AIIMS New Delhi. Fee: ₹1,000 per opinion plus ₹1,000 per X-ray opinion. [7]
  • Archery has no weight or height test, but SAI centres admit trainees only after anthropometric, physiological and psychological tests and a battery of tests — there is no direct admission. [11]
  • Every LA28 archer must follow the World Anti-Doping Code. In India you must be available for testing in and out of competition and check every medicine against the Prohibited List; if no permitted treatment exists, apply to NADA for a TUE. [3][9]
03 Grassroots-to-elite residential pipeline

From the school range to the national camp

The archery ladder [13][11][16]

The archery ladder
StepAgeWhat happens
1. Talent hunt9–18SAI's KIRTI tests children at 174 Talent Assessment Centres
2. District & State10–18Top 3 at district or state championships may enter SAI selection trials
3. SAI Training Centre12–18Up to 8th at Sub-Junior/Junior Nationals, or top 3 in the state, plus a battery of tests
4. Nationals & Khelo IndiaU15 to U21National championships of the Archery Association of India; Junior Nationals and Khelo India Games medals count for jobs
5. SAI NCOEScoutedResidential training at an archery NCOE with coaches, sports science and diet
6. Selection trials & national campSeniorTrials pick the squads for World Cups, Asian Games and LA28 qualifiers
  • You cannot apply to become a Khelo India athlete — scouts pick from recognised competitions; create your profile on the National Sports Repository System with age proof. [12]
  • Medals at the Khelo India Youth Games (above-18 category), Junior Nationals and SGFI school games now count for central sports-quota jobs. [16]
04 Every age group, child to masters

Archery at every age — U15 at 40 m to the 50+ class

World Archery has four age classes besides open: U15, U18, U21 and 50+ (from the year of your 50th birthday), each with its own shooting distance. [2]

  1. 9–18years
    Child

    KIRTI talent test

    SAI's KIRTI programme tests children aged 9 to 18 at 174 Talent Assessment Centres to feed the SAI and Khelo India pipeline. [13]

  2. Under 15years
    Child

    U15

    Recurve and compound at 40 m, barebow at 30 m. [2]

  3. 12–18years
    Youth

    SAI Training Centre (STC)

    Archery is one of the 27 sports at SAI's Training Centres. Entry at 12 to 18: up to 8th at Sub-Junior (incl. cadet) or Junior Nationals, top 3 at a state championship, or top 3 at a district or school-board championship to sit the trials — then a battery of tests. [11]

  4. Under 18years
    Youth

    U18

    Recurve U18 shoots 60 m. SAI's age test applies to boys up to 17 and girls up to 15. [2][7]

  5. 17+years
    Coach · official

    Coach — SAI NSNIS courses

    After Class 12: the Six-Week Certificate Course in Sports Coaching (₹14,800; 4 weeks online, 2 at a SAI centre) needs a top-3 district school result, or state, inter-university, SGFI or national participation. The 1-year Diploma in Sports Coaching (₹63,800) runs in Archery: Class 12 + an international record, or a degree + Senior Nationals, Khelo India University or inter-university play, or Junior Nationals twice. [17][18]

  6. Under 21years
    Junior

    U21

    Recurve at the full 70 m; compound and barebow at the senior distance. [2]

  7. 18–28years
    Job window

    Sports-quota job window

    Railways sports quota takes ages 18–25 (on 1 Jan 2027, Western Railway 2026-27 notice). CRPF takes 18–23 (on 1 Aug 2026) plus 5 years for a sportsperson — up to 28 unreserved, 31 OBC, 33 SC/ST. Central Group C posts relax the upper age by up to 5 years (10 for SC/ST). [19][20][15]

  8. Openyears
    Senior · open

    Senior — LA28

    Open class, no upper age; recurve 70 m, compound 50 m. [2][3]

  9. 50+years
    Masters · veterans

    50+ class

    From the year of your 50th birthday; recurve 50+ shoots 60 m. [2]

05 Top elite academies & cities

Where India's archers train

SAI National Centres of Excellence with archery [11]

SAI National Centres of Excellence with archery
CentreOther sports there
Kolkata, West BengalAthletics, gymnastics, hockey, table tennis
Sonepat, HaryanaAthletics, hockey, kabaddi, wrestling
Guwahati, AssamAthletics, boxing, cycling, fencing, football, taekwondo
Imphal, ManipurAthletics, cycling, fencing, football, hockey, judo, weightlifting, wushu

Archery is one of SAI's 13 priority disciplines. Archery also runs in SAI Training Centres and in STC extension centres at schools and colleges. [11]

Education Margdarshan could not find an official Government file listing the Army Sports Institute's current disciplines or entry route, so it is not listed here. Ask the Army recruiting office directly.

06 Equipment costs & who pays

Bows, arrows and who pays the bills

  • A recurve archer needs a riser, limbs, string, one sight, stabilisers, finger tab and arrows within the 9.3 mm shaft limit; a compound archer adds a release aid and a bow that peaks at 60 lb or less.
  • Arrows wear out and must each be marked with your name or initials — budget for spares. [1]

Education Margdarshan does not print shop prices — no governing body publishes them. Until a scheme picks you up, equipment is the family's or the academy's cost.

Who pays — archery ladder [11][14]

Who pays — archery ladder
StagePaid byWhat you get
SAI school (NSTC/extension) traineeSports Authority of IndiaCoaching while you study
SAI centre traineeSports Authority of IndiaCoaching, boarding, sports science, diet
Khelo India athleteMinistry of Youth Affairs & Sports₹6.28 lakh a year incl. ₹1.20 lakh cash
Junior medal prospectTOPS Development Group₹25,000 a month
Olympic prospectTOPS Core Group₹50,000 a month + approved training plan
Athlete in hardshipPDU National Welfare FundUp to ₹2.50 lakh
  • Calming or focus pills and powders are a doping risk: no supplement is 100% safe and strict liability applies — food first, with a certified nutritionist. [10]
07 Earning channels & central job quotas

Awards, league seasons and sports-quota jobs

  • Archery is No. 1 on the list of 65 sports in the central sports quota for Group C posts, with up to 5 years' age relaxation (10 for SC/ST).
  • Medals at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or World Championships can bring up to three out-of-turn promotions.
  • These central instructions do not apply to Railways Services, the Department of Atomic Energy, the Department of Space and some DRDO technical services. [15]
  • Archery Premier League: six franchises and 48 archers in season 2 — a paid league season on top of national-team work. [5]
  • Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons: ₹12,000–20,000 a month after retirement.
  • National Sports Awards — Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya (coaches). [14]
08 Official sources & verification

Where this roadmap comes from

The sources cited on this page, numbered as on the main Archery guide, read on 16 October 2026. Trials, age rules and scheme amounts change — open the current file before you act on it.

  1. World Archery — Rule Book 3: Target Archery (version 27 Jan 2026) (opens in a new tab) Recurve, compound and barebow equipment, 60 lb compound limit, arrow limits, set and cumulative scoring, time per arrow · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  2. World Archery — Rule Book 2: Organisation of Events (version 27 Jan 2026) (opens in a new tab) Rounds, distances, target faces and age classes · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  3. World Archery — Qualification System, LA28 Olympic Games: Archery (version 10 Aug 2026; copy published by the German Olympic Sports Confederation) (opens in a new tab) Six LA28 events, 128 places, per-country limits, MQS, qualification events and dates · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  4. All India Radio News — India's compound mixed archery team wins gold at Asian Games 2026 (30 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) Compound mixed and women's team golds, LA28 quota place · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  5. All India Radio News — Archery Premier League to be held in Hyderabad from October 8 to 18 (12 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) APL season 2: six franchises, 36 + 12 archers, 15-second shot clock, AAI and Telangana · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  6. SAI Khelo India Talent Identification Division — Circular on Age Verification Test (24 Aug 2022; copy on the IWLF website) (opens in a new tab) AVT ages, clinical/dental/TW3 X-ray method, documents, AIIMS appeal, fees · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  7. NADA India — Athlete's Rights & Responsibilities (opens in a new tab) Testing availability, Prohibited List, TUE · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  8. NADA India — Managing the Risk of Nutritional Supplements (opens in a new tab) Supplement risk, strict liability, food-first approach · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  9. SAI — Brief on Sports Promotional Schemes 2024-25 (opens in a new tab) Archery NCOEs, priority disciplines, STC and extension-centre entry, battery of tests · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  10. Khelo India — How to become a Khelo India Athlete (opens in a new tab) Scouting, assessment camps, NSRS registration · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  11. PIB — India's Sporting Transformation (10 June 2025) (opens in a new tab) KIRTI, ages 9–18, 174 Talent Assessment Centres · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  12. PIB — Financial Support to Athletes (5 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab) Khelo India, TOPS, welfare fund, pension, national awards · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  13. DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) Archery in the 65-sport list, Group C, out-of-turn promotion, Railways exclusion · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  14. DoPT Office Memorandum, 4 March 2024 — Incentive for Sportspersons (opens in a new tab) Khelo India Games, Junior Nationals and SGFI medallists added · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
  15. SAI NSNIS Patiala — Six Week Certificate Course in Sports Coaching (opens in a new tab) 6 weeks (4 online, 2 offline), ₹14,800, Class 12 + district-level top 3 or state / inter-university / SGFI / national participation · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
  16. SAI NSNIS Patiala — Diploma in Sports Coaching (course page, 2026-27) (opens in a new tab) 1 year, ₹63,800, 785 + 104 seats in 26 disciplines at Patiala, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram; Category A (Class 12 + international record), B (graduation + national record) · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
  17. Western Railway RRC — Employment Notice RRC/WR/01/2026 (Sports Quota), 27 Aug 2026 (opens in a new tab) Age 18–25 on 1 Jan 2027, Level 5/4, 3/2 and 1 sports norms, MoYAS-recognition rule, fees · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  18. CRPF — Recruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons, HC & Constable (GD), Sports Quota 2026 (Advt. R.II-21/2026-Sports, 17 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) 521 posts, age 18–23 on 1 Aug 2026 with sportsperson relaxation (+5 UR, +8 OBC, +10 SC/ST), qualifications, fee, ₹1 lakh bond · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  19. Khelo India Youth Games 2026 (Telangana) — Sports (opens in a new tab) The 25 disciplines listed for KIYG 2026 · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
  20. ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition — Dietary Guidelines for Indians (booklet), Guideline 8 (opens in a new tab) Cereal-pulse 3:1 protein quality, vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources; most athletes meet protein needs from food, protein powders unnecessary · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
Back to the full Archery guide

The rules and scoring, recognition, the traps to avoid.

← Full Archery guide