South West Khasi Hills lead Indian Round standings at Meghalaya archery championship

South West Khasi Hills emerged as the top-performing district in the Indian Round category at the Meghalaya State Archery Championship 2026, collecting 13 medals on the second day of the three-day competition.

The district finished with five gold, four silver and four bronze medals to edge out West Khasi Hills, which secured four gold, two silver and five bronze medals.

East Jaintia Hills finished third with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals, followed by East Garo Hills with three gold, one silver and two bronze. East Khasi Hills rounded off the top five with one gold and four silver medals.

The championship, organised by the Archery Association of Meghalaya, began on August 11 at the Sports Authority of India centre on the North Eastern Hill University campus.

All districts except North Garo Hills have secured at least one medal in the Indian Round events.

The category uses bows and arrows made from materials such as bamboo, cane and wood, offering a more affordable alternative to modern archery equipment. The Indian Round was developed as a competitive format in India in 1989, with Meghalaya's Woodward Sohliya among its pioneers.

Besides making the sport more accessible, the category has helped retain traditional archery practices and provides an entry point for young archers at the grassroots level.

Competitors took part from the sub-junior to senior categories across men's and women's individual, team and mixed-team events.

The championship will conclude today with the recurve and compound events, giving the remaining districts an opportunity to close the gap on the current leaders.