CHENNAI: After Atanu Das’ inspired yet unproductive showing in Rio, a lot was expected from India’s recurve archers, especially when compared to the compound section, which is not an Olympic discipline. But the current year has seen just the opposite. While the compound team has managed to claim two medals — team gold in World Cup Stage 1 in China and mixed team bronze in Stage 2 in Turkey — recurve archers have flattered to deceive.
It’s been a year since they last won a World Cup medal — in Stage III in Antalya in 2016 — where Atanu and Deepika Kumari had won a silver in the mixed pair event. What has been most disappointing is that the recurve archers have failed to come close to the medal rounds. Unsurprisingly, only Deepika has qualified for the season-ending World Cup final in Rome from August 31.
With the World Archery Championship coming up in Mexico City from October 13-23, stakes are high. But the Archery Association of India has the future in mind. The current year has seen six archers from the junior team graduate to the senior team. “The World Cup stages and World Championship are important, but obviously our target is the 2020 Tokyo Games. Next year, we have the Commonwealth and Asian Games, which is our immediate target. The exposure the kids are getting, combined with the senior heads in the scheme of things means a bright future,” Virendra Sachdeva, AAI treasurer told Express.
Women’s coach Purnima Mahato feels the new kids need time to settle down and that is a reason behind lack of medals this year. “These kids are bright, no doubt, but they need time. During crunch situations they tend to falter. Playing in familiar conditions in the country and competing in different wind conditions is different,” she added.
According to one senior archer, the lack of proper communication from AAI is also to blame. He added that there is a clear lack of motivation from the higher authorities, especially since this year comes after an Olympic year. “Last year, there was a semblance of professionalism. This year, again, trial dates were fixed arbitrarily and places where it was held defy intelligence. If these things are improved, archers will also be more relaxed ahead of competitions,” the archer added.
The drama surrounding the AAI is also not helping matters. Under court orders, fresh elections have been ordered within four months. Before the order had come about, AAI had short-listed two South Koreans coaches, a ploy that had worked before. But that seems to have been shelved for the time being as they can’t spend money without the court’s permission.
ayantan@newindianexpress.com