Suraj Karthikeya: Andhra’s loss, USA’s gain as archery prodigy shines internationally

N. Suraj Karthikeya, an archer from Andhra Pradesh, moved to the USA at 14 after facing biased selection processes. He has since earned multiple international medals and aims for an Olympic gold

Hyderabad: Andhra’s loss was USA’s gain! Politics forced archer N. Suraj Karthikeya from Andhra Pradesh to seek greener pastures abroad at the age of 14, and he eventually settled in the USA.

Suraj made an emphatic statement soon after, earning a spot on the US national archery team. He went on to win a bronze in both the 2025 Arizona Cup and the Gator Cup, and a silver in the Socal Showdown, before capping off his achievements with a truly memorable silver (compound bow) at the recent World Youth Archery Championship.

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Why did he leave Andhra Pradesh? Suraj had been training at the well-known Godavari Archery Academy (established by his father, N. Durga Ram Kumar, a certified Level II archery coach) since 2018 and was passionate about making it big in the sport.

However, this gifted archer’s aspirations hit a roadblock due to a biased selection process and the gross indifference of the officials concerned. Both Suraj and his father were repeatedly snubbed.

Interestingly, Suraj’s father had returned to India after quitting a lucrative IT career in the US to serve his country and nurture young archery talent at his academy in Rajamahendravaram. For obvious reasons, his academy and its trainees became clear “targets” of the powers-that-be, forcing him to almost shut down the academy. The criteria for State team selections were changed according to the whims of those in power.

“Yes, we were subject to a systematic humiliation, which left us with no option but to see Suraj look for better prospects abroad,” said Ram Kumar in a chat with Telangana Today.

“In fact, my daughter, N. Jayashruthi, a national medallist in archery, was once so badly humiliated by these officials on flimsy grounds that she quit the sport in utter disgust,” he revealed.

Fortunately, within one year of moving to the US, Suraj made a huge impact and caught the attention of critics with his consistent performances.

Despite being fifth in the Youth World Championship selection trials of 2023 in India, from June 2022 to March 2023, Suraj was unable to showcase his talent. He was not allowed to compete, and the officials seemingly looked the other way.

Even the High Court’s orders to ensure justice in the selection process proved ineffective, as he continued to face hardship.

Now, Suraj visits his father’s hometown of Rajamahendravaram each September to train for a couple of months before returning to the US for competitions.

His ultimate dream — to win an Olympic medal — ironically may well be realized, but for the USA!