Indian archers left stranded in violence-hit Dhaka after flight cancellation

India recorded its best-ever performance at the Asian Archery Championships, winning 10 medals.

Indian archers returning from their medal-winning campaign at the Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka faced a night of severe trouble after their scheduled flight to Delhi was cancelled, leaving them stranded without support

According to reports from PTI, 11 archers from the 23-member contingent, including two minors, spent nearly 10 hours inside the Dhaka airport after repeated delays and a complete lack of assistance from the airline.

Senior players, including Abhishek Verma, Jyoti Surekha, and Dhiraj Bommadevara, were hopeless. They had boarded their 9.30 pm flight on Saturday but were informed later that the aircraft had developed a technical problem and would not depart.

This unfolded at a time when Dhaka is experiencing violence on the streets ahead of a special tribunal’s verdict against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, adding further tension to their situation.

After being stranded inside the airport for hours, the Indian archers were informed that the flight had been cancelled. They were also told that there would be no alternative service that night.

Once they exited the airport, the situation deteriorated further. The team was transported in a “window-less local bus” to a makeshift lodge nearly 30 minutes away. Abhishek Verma said the accommodation resembled a “Dharamshala” rather than a hotel, with cramped rooms and poor sanitation.

“The ‘dharamshala’ that was given in the name of the guest house was very pathetic. In one room there were six double beds… There was only one toilet and the condition of the toilet was very bad,” he told PTI. “It was such that I don’t think anyone could have taken a bath there.”

Also Read: Asian Archery Championships 2025: India win men’s recurve team gold after 18 years

Attempts to arrange their own stay also failed. “Even if we knew we would get it by 11am in the morning, we would have stayed back at the airport. Because they (the airline) did not confirm anything.”

The 11 Indian archers reached the Dhaka airport at 7 am the next day and took their flight to Delhi. However, they encountered further delays after reaching the capital city.

Many archers missed their connecting flights to Hyderabad and Vijayawada, and had to travel to their hometown by re-booking costly flights at the last minute or long distance by roads.

“Now all the flights were cancelled and the Federation had to bear the cost,” Verma said. “One ticket, Mumbai to Delhi, I think the costing of each ticket is more than Rs 20,000. So, if our Federation had to bear lakhs of rupees, whose responsibility is it?”

He criticised the airline for inadequate support, particularly considering several young female athletes were involved. “Your plane broke down, and while you know that riots are happening outside… How did they put us in local transport?

If something had happened in that bus, there were three teenage girls. Who would have been responsible?”

The distressing return overshadowed India’s best-ever Asian Championships performance, where they topped the table with ten medals, including six gold, three silver, and one bronze, finishing above South Korea. Other groups from the Indian contingent, including those travelling to Kolkata and Mumbai, did not face such issues.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram