South West Khasi Hills emerged as the top district at the Meghalaya State Archery Championship 2026, finishing the three-day competition with 25 medals. The district maintained its lead through the final day as archers from all 12 districts competed across Indian Round, recurve and compound events in Shillong.
Organised by the Archery Association of Meghalaya (AAM), the championship concluded on August 13 at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre on the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) campus. More than 200 archers and officials took part in the state-level competition, underlining the growing reach of archery across Meghalaya.
South West Khasi Hills hold off strong competition
The district entered the final day with an advantage after leading the Indian Round standings following the second day. It had collected five gold, four silver and four bronze medals in the category, giving it 13 medals before the recurve and compound events began.
The final day brought another 12 medals for the district. South West Khasi Hills ultimately finished with eight gold, 10 silver and seven bronze medals, keeping its position at the top of the overall standings.
East Khasi Hills produced one of the biggest improvements on the final day. The host district moved from fifth place to second overall and ended the championship with seven gold, seven silver and four bronze medals.
West Khasi Hills secured third position with six gold, six silver and six bronze medals. Ri-Bhoi followed in fourth with four gold, two silver and four bronze medals. East Jaintia Hills completed the top five with three gold, three silver and three bronze medals.
A close medal race across districts
The results showed a competitive spread of medals among districts. East Jaintia Hills finished just ahead of East Garo Hills, which also won three gold and three bronze medals but had one fewer silver.
The competition was already closely contested after the Indian Round. At that stage, West Khasi Hills had four gold, two silver and five bronze medals, while East Jaintia Hills stood third with three gold, two silver and two bronze. East Garo Hills was fourth with three gold, one silver and two bronze.
Almost every participating district opened its medal account during the Indian Round, with North Garo Hills the only district yet to win a medal at that stage. The spread reflected the growing participation in archery beyond the traditional strongholds of the sport.
Indian Round supports grassroots archery
A major feature of the championship was the Indian Round, which uses bows and arrows made from materials such as bamboo, cane and wood. The discipline follows a format similar to modern technical archery but uses comparatively affordable equipment.
The Indian Round was developed as a competitive format in India in 1989, with Meghalaya’s Woodward Sohliya recognised as one of its pioneers. Its relatively low equipment cost has helped make it an important entry point for young athletes and has also supported the preservation of indigenous archery traditions.
The championship included sub-junior, junior and senior-level participation for both male and female competitors. Individual, team and mixed-team events provided athletes with opportunities to compete across different formats.
For South West Khasi Hills, the strong showing also reflects the district’s wider investment in grassroots sports. The district has an operational Khelo India Centre at Mahram Government Higher Secondary School, where archery is among the disciplines supported under the programme.
Meghalaya looks towards 2027 National Games
Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla attended the closing ceremony and watched the competition for nearly three hours. He praised the skill and precision displayed by the archers and noted that the close medal standings showed that no single district had dominated the championship.
Shylla also credited the Archery Association of Meghalaya for its work in promoting the sport across the state. He described the association as one of the active bodies involved in preparing teams for the 39th National Games, which Meghalaya is scheduled to host in 2027.
He further pointed to the state’s increased focus on sports infrastructure and athlete support. According to the minister, the Sports and Youth Affairs budget has increased from Rs 70 crore to Rs 844 crore over the past seven years.
The championship’s final standings underline the depth developing in Meghalaya archery. With South West Khasi Hills leading the medal table and several other districts mounting strong challenges, the event provided a competitive platform for athletes preparing for bigger state and national competitions.
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