Asia Cup Opens 2026 Season | Archery Weekly Mar 15–22

Spring is here, and the archery world is ramping up fast. From the first arrows of the 2026 Asia Cup flying in Bangkok to a heated land-use battle in Texas, this past week delivered plenty of stories worth tracking. We also saw thousands of student archers compete across multiple state championships, a historic push to end Sunday hunting bans on the East Coast, and well-deserved recognition for India’s para archery athletes.

Here’s everything that happened in archery from March 15 through March 22, 2026.

Asia Cup Stage 1 Kicks Off the 2026 Outdoor Season in Bangkok

The biggest story this week lands in Thailand. The first stage of the 2026 Asia Cup kicked off at the Sports Authority of Thailand Football Stadium in Bangkok, running from March 21 through 28. This event marks the official start of the outdoor competitive season for archers across Asia and Oceania.

World ranking points are on the line, and with the Asian Games looming later this year, every arrow counts. The field features a strong mix of established powerhouses and rising talent. India headlines the compound division with Rishabh Yadav, currently ranked fourth in the world. China and Bangladesh also sent competitive squads, while Australia represents the Oceania region and Slovenia joins as a guest nation from Europe.

One archer generating serious buzz is 18-year-old Most Kulsum Akther Mone from Bangladesh. She broke through in 2025 with an individual bronze at the Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka and a compound mixed team silver. Now ranked 73rd globally, she’s among the young talents looking to make a statement early in the season.

Notably absent is South Korea, which is still running domestic selection trials. That opens the door for other nations to grab early momentum on the continental circuit.

Competition is set at standard distances—70 meters for recurve and 50 meters for compound. The Asia Cup has always served as a launching pad for emerging archers, and this opening stage sets the tone for what promises to be a packed international calendar.

Massachusetts Moves to Lift Sunday Hunting Ban and Expand Bowhunting Access

Governor Maura Healey made headlines on March 19 by filing legislation that would lift the longstanding Sunday hunting ban in Massachusetts. The bill also proposes expanding crossbow access for all hunters and reducing the minimum setback distance for bowhunters near occupied dwellings.

Massachusetts and Maine are currently the only two states in the country that enforce a complete ban on Sunday hunting—a holdover from colonial-era “blue laws” rooted in Puritan tradition.

“We stopped burning women at the stake and we allowed people to drink alcohol. But we still have a Sunday ban on hunting. It doesn’t make any sense,” Healey said during a press conference at the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area in Falmouth.

The changes were unanimously endorsed by MassWildlife’s board following a public comment period earlier this year. The push comes as deer populations across the state consistently exceed management goals. Only five of Massachusetts’ 15 wildlife management zones currently fall within the target density of 12 to 18 deer per square mile. Eastern regions of the state are running between 30 and 40 deer per square mile, with Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket even higher.

For bowhunters, the proposed reduction in setback distances could open tens of thousands of additional huntable acres. Combined with the Sunday access expansion, this legislation would represent the most significant change to Massachusetts hunting regulations in decades.

Tennessee NASP State Championships Draw 1,900+ Student Archers

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency hosted the 18th annual National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Championships from March 18–20 at Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro. More than 1,900 students from 88 schools competed across elementary, middle school, and high school divisions.

Defending champions entered with targets on their backs. Central Magnet High School, Stewarts Creek Middle School, and Christiana Elementary School all returned to defend team titles won at the 2025 championships.

Tennessee’s event was just one piece of a nationwide wave of NASP state tournaments rolling through March. Over in Indiana, three schools—Lincoln, Hagerstown, and Northeastern—sent qualifying teams to the Indiana NASP State Tournament at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on March 21, competing for spots at nationals in Louisville.

Northeastern archery coach Brian Richmond, now in his 10th season leading both middle and high school squads, brought a 24-member team. Lincoln’s standout was eighth-grader Coleson Burdette, who earned first place at a qualifying meet with a score of 277 points. Even fourth-grader Penelope Anguiano from Lincoln punched her ticket to state.

NASP continues to be one of the most effective pipelines for introducing young people to target archery. The program operates in all 50 states and multiple countries, and these state championship events are where future competitive archers often get their start.

Austin Archery Club Fights to Save Its 59-Acre Range

Members of the Austin Archery Club (AAC) are urging the city of Austin not to terminate the lease agreement that has allowed the club to operate on a 59-acre parcel of public parkland for more than 50 years.

The story gained traction this week after KXAN reported that the city’s Parks and Recreation department was considering ending the arrangement. A Change.org petition quickly gained signatures, with members describing the club as “a haven for archers and hunters” that has served citizens of all ages and backgrounds.

The AAC isn’t just a recreational facility. It’s one of the few dedicated public archery spaces in the Austin metro area, offering a place for beginners to learn the sport, for competitive archers to train, and for bowhunters to sight in before season. Losing 59 acres of dedicated archery land in a rapidly growing city would be a serious blow to the local archery community.

The petition and public pressure campaign are ongoing. If you’re an archer in the Austin area—or anywhere in Texas—keeping an eye on this situation is worth your time. Land access battles like this one have broader implications for archery programs across the country.

Brophy College Prep: How a Club Sport Became an Arizona Archery Powerhouse

Cronkite News published a feature this week spotlighting the archery program at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix—a Jesuit school where archery has grown from a small student club into one of Arizona’s most consistent competitive teams over the past decade.

“We try to provide opportunities for all of our students in a variety of disciplines,” sports information director Steve Shaff told Cronkite News. “Archery is one of the programs that developed over the last 10 years as something our students were interested in. It’s a club sport here at our school, but we treat our club sports just like we would treat our AIA sports.”

The program has produced state championships and regular podium finishes. While it no longer competes at the varsity level, its legacy runs deep in Arizona archery history. The state itself has strong archery roots—Arizona State University once fielded one of the most dominant collegiate archery programs in the nation, winning dozens of national titles from the 1970s through the 1990s and producing Olympians.

Today, much of Arizona’s archery growth flows through youth pipelines like the Archery in the Schools Program, which has expanded across campuses statewide. The Ben Avery Shooting Facility in north Phoenix—one of the largest publicly accessible shooting complexes in the country—serves as a year-round hub for local, state, and national tournaments.

Brophy’s story is a strong reminder that high school archery programs don’t need varsity status to build championship-caliber teams.

India’s Para Archery Athletes Honored at TOISA 2025 Awards

The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) was held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, and para archery was among the featured categories. The awards honored athlete performances from January through December 2025, and several Indian archers received nominations for their standout seasons.

Harvinder Singh—a Padma Shri recipient and one of India’s most decorated para archers—was nominated in the male para archery category. His 2025 highlights included an individual recurve gold and a mixed team gold at the Asian Para Archery Championships, along with a doubles silver alongside Vivek Chikara.

Sheetal Devi, another prominent nominee, continues to represent the rising profile of para archery in India. The TOISA jury this year included sporting legends like Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, and Devendra Jhajharia.

India’s investment in para archery development has been paying off in recent years, with consistent medal performances at continental and world championships. The TOISA recognition reinforces archery’s growing status within India’s broader sporting landscape.

Watch: Arrow Safety Tips Every Archer Needs to Know

With spring range season heating up, this is a great time to revisit arrow safety fundamentals. This recent video from a popular archery YouTube channel breaks down the most common mistakes that lead to injuries—and they’re almost always avoidable with a quick inspection routine.

The video covers cracked nocks, damaged shafts, and improper arrow spine matching—all issues that can cause serious problems at full draw or on release. Whether you shoot recurve or compound, spending 30 seconds checking your arrows before each session is a habit that prevents hospital trips.

If you’re gearing up for outdoor target season or sighting in your bow for spring turkey, give this one a watch. The basics matter more than most archers think.

Looking Ahead

The coming week has plenty to watch in the archery world:

• Asia Cup Stage 1 continues in Bangkok through March 28. Expect results from qualification rounds and early match play. Keep an eye on India’s compound team and Bangladesh’s rising star Akther Mone.
• NASP state tournaments continue rolling across the country. Iowa’s state tournament runs March 27–29 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, with more states sending qualifiers to the national event in Louisville.
• Massachusetts hunting legislation will move through the statehouse. If the Sunday hunting ban is lifted and bowhunting setback distances are reduced, the ripple effects will reach archery retailers, clubs, and bowhunters across the state.
• Austin Archery Club’s lease battle continues. Follow the Change.org petition and local Austin news for updates on the city’s decision.
• Spring turkey season is opening in several states this week. If you haven’t tuned your bow or tested your broadheads yet, now’s the time. Check out our Fixed vs. Mechanical Broadheads guide to get dialed in.

That wraps up this week’s archery news. See you next Monday with another roundup. Until then, keep shooting straight.