Shillong, Feb 26: Meghalaya’s Devraj Mohapatra clinched gold in the men’s recurve category at the NTPC Khelo India North East Zone Open Archery Tournament held here on Wednesday.
The tournament is being hosted by the Archery Association of Meghalaya (AAM) under the aegis of the Archery Association of India (AAI) at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Shillong Training Centre archery range located on the NEHU campus.
The recurve division events were conducted on Wednesday, while the compound category is scheduled for Thursday. More than 120 archers from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim have registered for the North East Zone competition.
The day began with qualifying rounds in the morning, followed by elimination rounds and medal matches in the afternoon.
In the women’s recurve final, Yumnam Anupama Devi of Manipur secured gold with a 6-2 victory over Vesevolu Swuro of Nagaland. The bronze medal was decided through a shoot-off, with Kevikieno Rikha of Nagaland prevailing over Yaikhombi Thongam of Manipur.
The men’s recurve final saw a dominant display from Devraj Mohapatra, who defeated Manipur’s Keithellakpam Rohit Meitei 6-0 to claim the top podium finish. The bronze medal match was an all-Meghalaya affair, where Vivek Sunar overcame Hypormi Wanniang 6-2.
The Honourable Sports and Youth Affairs Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Wailadmiki Shylla, graced the occasion as chief guest and presented the medals to the winners.
Among other dignitaries present were Dr KB Gurung, General Secretary of the Sikkim Archery Association and AAI Vice-President; Olympian and Arjuna awardee Smti Chekrovolu Swuro, President of the Nagaland Archery Association and AAI Vice-President; Shri Rupesh Kar, General Secretary of the West Bengal Archery Association; and Smti M War Nongbri, Chief Adviser of AAM.
This marks the third consecutive year that the AAI has organised the tournament. Conducted across five zones nationwide, the competition continues to serve as a significant developmental platform, offering broader competitive exposure and strengthening participation among archers from state associations, sports boards and affiliated members.
The support extended by NTPC and SAI has been described as instrumental in enhancing the quality and scale of archery competitions, while also contributing to the overall development and competitive preparedness of India’s archers.
