From 7th March to 16th March 2026, India’s top archers are gathering at the BBMB Ground in Sundernagar, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, for the 4th NTPC National Ranking Archery Tournament.
This is one of the most important ranking events in Indian archery, and it features competition across Senior, Junior, and Sub-Junior categories in both Recurve and Compound disciplines.
The previous edition of this tournament drew hundreds of archers from across the country, with Recurve Men seeing over 648 entries and Compound Women close to 668.
The full schedule below covers all stages of the tournament from arrival to the final competition day on 16th March 2026.
4th NTPC National Ranking Archery Tournament 2026 – Full Schedule
Here is a complete look at the tournament schedule across all three categories, from the first arrival day to the final competition rounds.
The three categories run back-to-back.
| Date | Senior (M/W) Recurve & Compound | Junior (M/W) Recurve & Compound | Sub-Junior (B/G) Recurve & Compound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 2026 (Sat) | Arrival | – | – |
| 8 Mar 2026 (Sun) | Qualification & Elimination Rounds | – | – |
| 9 Mar 2026 (Mon) | Elimination Rounds & Final Matches | – | – |
| 10 Mar 2026 (Tue) | Departure before 12:00 Noon | Arrival | – |
| 11 Mar 2026 (Wed) | – | Qualification & Elimination Rounds | – |
| 12 Mar 2026 (Thu) | – | Elimination Rounds & Final Matches | – |
| 13 Mar 2026 (Fri) | – | Departure before 12:00 Noon | Arrival |
| 14 Mar 2026 (Sat) | – | – | Qualification & Elimination Rounds |
| 15 Mar 2026 (Sun) | – | – | Elimination Rounds & Final Matches |
| 16 Mar 2026 (Mon) | – | – | Departure before 12:00 Noon |
So Senior archers compete first, followed by Juniors, and finally the Sub-Juniors in the last leg of the tournament.
Tournament Information
The 4th NTPC National Ranking Archery Tournament 2026 is organised by the Archery Association of India (AAI) and supported by NTPC. It is hosted by the Himachal Pradesh Archery Association and takes place at the BBMB Ground in Sundernagar, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.
The tournament covers both Recurve and Compound disciplines across three age groups: Senior, Junior, and Sub-Junior. The final competition schedule is available on the AAI official website, which was uploaded on 7th March 2026.
Venue – BBMB Ground, Sundernagar, Mandi
The tournament is being held at the BBMB Ground in Sundernagar, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. This venue provides an open-air competition space suited for archery at the national level.
The host state, Himachal Pradesh, is entitled to enter 5 archers in each category and division, in addition to the qualified participants from other states. The Himachal Pradesh Archery Association is managing on-ground logistics, including accommodation coordination and transport support for all visiting teams and officials.
Categories and Disciplines
The tournament features competition across three age groups and two disciplines. The Senior category covers both Men and Women in Recurve and Compound. The Junior category also has Men’s and Women’s divisions in both disciplines.
The Sub-Junior category is for Boys and Girls in Recurve and Compound. Each category runs on separate days to avoid overlap and ensure smooth scheduling. All six competition brackets run on the same three-day format: qualification rounds, elimination rounds, and final matches.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility rules differ slightly by age group, so archers must check their category carefully before registering.
For the Senior category, archers must qualify from the top 16 Elimination Round results of the 3rd NTP NRAT held at Ernakulam, Kerala. For the Junior category, archers must qualify from the top 8 of the same event.
Sub-Junior archers must also qualify through the same process. Additionally, eligible archers must have met the Minimum Qualification Score at recognized national events from January 2025 to March 2026. Entry capacity limits are set per category, with around 648 to 696 entries allowed.
Entry Numbers Per Category
The tournament has set specific entry limits for each discipline and category to ensure fair and manageable competition.
Here is a quick look at the maximum entry numbers allowed per division across the tournament.
| Category | Recurve Men | Recurve Women | Compound Men | Compound Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | 648 | 625 | 696 | 668 |
| Junior | 648 | 611 | 691 | 621 |
| Sub-Junior | 660 | 621 | 684 | 668 |
These numbers reflect the scale of this tournament and show just how many of India’s best archers take part across all age groups and disciplines.
Registration and Entry Process
All entries for the 4th NTPC National Ranking Archery Tournament 2026 must be submitted through the AAI Online Affiliation Portal. Participants must be affiliated with this portal before they can enter. The entry and timeline deadline for all categories is 20th February 2026. No paper entries are accepted for this event. All state associations and associate members need to send their entries and arrival and departure schedules through the Tournament Manager system only. Unaffiliated participants will not be permitted to take part.
Boarding and Lodging
Free boarding and lodging are provided for the top 16 archers in each category, as mentioned in the eligibility section. The local host and AAI will not be responsible for accompanying coaches, officials, or parents of participants.
Archers who are not in the top 16 will need to make their own arrangements, but the local host will try to help find nearby accommodation upon request. Archers eligible for free accommodation must check in to the hotel directly on their respective arrival date, and the LOC will share hotel details with all member state associations.
Key Contact Details
For any queries related to the tournament, archers and associations can reach out to the following contacts from the Himachal Pradesh Archery Association. Shri Raghunath Rana is the Secretary and can be contacted at Mobile No. 7018323743. Shri Jaginder Singh is the Member and can be reached at Mobile No. 7018844547.
The AAI’s official address is Room No. 84-86, 1st Floor, Gate No. 2, Archery and Cricket Stadium, DDA Yamuna Sports Complex, Surajmal Vihar, Delhi 110092.
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Conclusion – Arrows Fly, Rankings Rise in Mandi
The 4th NTPC National Ranking Archery Tournament 2026 is a landmark event for Indian archery, bringing together the country’s best talent across three age groups at one venue in Himachal Pradesh.
With hundreds of archers competing across Recurve and Compound categories, the rankings from this tournament will shape India’s archery landscape for the rest of the year. Every arrow counts, and every result matters for national selection and future tournament seedings.
