The qualification round at the Sulaymaniyah 2026 Asia Cup got underway on Sunday, with Bangladesh topping both compound individual events while Iran and Kazakhstan led the recurve fields.
The compound men’s event produced a close contest for the top seed.
Bangladesh’s Nawaz Ahmed Rakib and Kazakhstan’s Pavel Kuznetsov both scored 693, but Rakib secured first place with 18 Xs to Kuznetsov’s 17.
Rakib and compatriot Himu Bachhar, who qualified fourth, were part of the Bangladesh team that made history by winning the country’s first-ever Asia Cup gold in the compound men’s team event at Stage I in Bangkok.
With Bangladesh again securing the top seed in the team event, the pair will be aiming to help their country defend its title in Sulaymaniyah.
Bangladesh also led the compound women’s field, with Bonna Akter scoring 696. Iraq’s Fatimah Saad AlMashhadani finished second with 693, putting a home archer among the leading qualifiers, while Kazakhstan’s Elmira Raissova took third with 685.
