Nawaz, Bonna top compound qualification at Asia Cup Archery

Bangladesh made an impressive start to the 2026 Asia Cup, World Ranking Tournament, Stage 2, with Nawaz Ahmed Rakib and Bonna Akter topping the men's and women's compound qualification rounds respectively in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, on Sunday. 

Abdur Rahman Alif also delivered a strong performance, finishing third in the men's recurve qualification round as Bangladeshi archers made their mark at the international competition.

Nawaz scored 693 out of a possible 720 to finish first among 18 competitors in the men's compound division. His compatriots Md Tarikul Islam and Himu Bashar both scored 691, finishing third and fourth respectively, according to the qualification standings.

Bonna was equally impressive in the women's compound event, recording 696 out of 720 to secure the top position among 18 archers. Sriparna Biswas and Mst Kulsum Akter Moni both scored 681 to finish fourth and fifth respectively.

In the men's recurve division, which featured 28 archers, Alif scored 657 to claim third place. Abdullah Al Mohammad Rafi finished fourth with 653 points, while Md Sagor Islam secured seventh place with 644.

Bangladesh also recorded encouraging results in the women's recurve qualification round. Saima Salahuddin scored 635 to finish fifth among 27 competitors. Sonali Roy placed seventh with 622 points, while Sima Akter Shimu finished eighth with 618.

The qualification rounds were held on Sunday, with archers shooting 72 arrows from 70 metres in recurve and 50 metres in compound events to determine their rankings.

The tournament will continue on Monday with the knockout rounds of the team and mixed team events in both divisions. The individual elimination rounds are scheduled for 27 October , followed by the compound finals on 28 October  and the recurve finals on 29 October .

A 16-member Bangladesh contingent, comprising 12 archers and four officials, left Dhaka on October 22 to compete for valuable world ranking points.

The tournament, running from 24 to 29 October , features 91 archers from 17 countries competing in the recurve and compound divisions.

Bangladesh will now look to carry its strong qualification-round performances into the knockout stages and challenge for medals in the remaining events.