India Appoints New Archery Coaches for Asian Games

India’s archery coaching set-up for the Asian Games and the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 includes foreign and Indian coaches for compound and recurve events. The Sports Authority of India centre at Sonepat is one of the main national training venues for archery in India.

Compound Archery Coaching

Former World No. 1 American Dave Cousins has been appointed as the head foreign coach for India’s compound archery team. He is expected to join the national camp at the Sports Authority of India centre in Sonepat, and his contract is set to continue until the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. His reported monthly salary is $12,000.

Recurve Archery Coaching

Kisik Lee, a South Korean coach, has been linked with the recurve team for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle. His reported financial terms include 22,000 for each seven-day coaching stint and a monthly retainer of 5,000. Baek Woong Ki, another South Korean coach, had earlier resigned after being denied accreditation for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Indian Coaches and Athlete Support

Italian coach Sergio Pagni was brought back as the head coach of the Indian compound archery team on January 8, 2026, with a contract until the Los Angeles Games. He is reported to work periodically for $500 daily for 15 days a month. Recurve archers Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das appointed former Commonwealth Games champion Rahul Banerjee as their personal coach in December 2024.

Important Facts for Exams

• Archery has two Olympic disciplines, namely recurve and compound, and recurve is the only discipline currently included in the Olympic Games.
• The Asian Games is a multi-sport event held under the Olympic Council of Asia, and archery has been part of its programme for several editions.
• The Sports Authority of India is the apex sports body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for training and athlete development in India.
• Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics, which are officially known as the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad.

Indian Archery Names in Focus

Deepika Kumari is one of India’s best-known recurve archers, and Atanu Das is a senior Indian recurve archer. Kirti Sharma is a teenage archer who has qualified for the 2026 Asian Games, and Udham Singh will travel with the Indian women’s team as her coach.