Christian Seneca atop the podium (Photo World Archery)
Italy’s Christian Seneca achieved a breakthrough in his para archery career beating Indonesia’s Ken Swagumilang to win compound men’s gold at the second stage of the World Archery Para Series in Nove Mesto.
Competing in only his third season in para compound archery, the world number 20 completed an impressive campaign with a 141-124 victory in the final, having earlier stunned reigning world champion and world number one Toman Kumar of India 147-143 in the semifinals.
The 51-year-old’s triumph marked his first international individual title on the Hyundai World Archery Para Series.
In compound women, Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham captured her first title of the season after pipping reigning world champion Sheetal Devi of India 143-141 in a high-quality final.
The victory also avenged Grinham’s semifinal defeat to Devi at the 2025 World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju.
Devi, who topped the qualification with an Asian record, added mixed team gold alongside Shyam Sunder Swami after India defeated Indonesia 147-143.
Earlier, Grinham partnered fellow Briton Phoebe Paterson Pine to claim compound women’s team gold with a 145-141 victory over Italy.
Payal Nag, the world’s first quadruple amputee who won her first international title at Bangkok 2026, saw her run end in the quarterfinals with a defeat to Devi.
Another Indian youngster, Bhawna, enjoyed a memorable tournament by winning three gold medals.
The 21-year-old, who had triumphed at Bangkok 2026 as well, edged compatriot and Paralympian Pooja in a shoot-off to claim the recurve women’s individual title after the duo had combined to win women’s team gold against Brazil. Bhawna had also teamed up with reigning Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh to secure recurve mixed team gold, beating Indonesia 6-2.
Singh added another medal as he finished runner-up to Italy’s Stefano Travisani in the recurve men’s individual final, before partnering Vijay Sundi to victory in the men’s team event with a 6-2 win over Ukraine.
USA’s Paralympic Champion Jason Tabansky returned to the top of the podium in W1 men. Seeded sixth, the world number one defeated top seed Maurizio Panella of Italy 6-2 to bounce back from his runner-up finish at the opening stage in Bangkok.
Host nation Czechia celebrated success through world number one Sarka Pultar Musilova, who maintained her unbeaten run to claim the W1 women’s title with a 7-1 victory over Korea’s Lee Eunhee. The reigning world champion also won W1 women’s team gold with Tereza Brandtlova and mixed team gold alongside David Drahoninsky.
In visually impaired category, Cyprus’ top seed Christos Misos repeated his victory over Belgium’s Ruben Vanhollebeke from the 2025 World Archery Para Championships final, comfortably winning 6-0 in the final.
The Hyundai World Archery Para Series now heads to Ahmedabad, India, for its third stage, scheduled from 5-9 September.
The champions:
- Recurve men: Stefano Travisani, Italy
- Recurve women: Bhawna, India
- Compound men: Christian Seneca, Italy
- Compound women: Jodie Grinham, Great Britain
- W1 men: Jason Tabansky, USA
- W1 women: Sarka Pultar Musilova, Czechia
- VI1: Christos Misos, Cyprus
