NAGOYA: 52 seconds.
That was the target on Wednesday. Sahil Jadhav and his childhood coach Pravin Sawant did not speak about the gold medal. The 52 seconds became an obsession, something that could not be shaken off from their minds. On Wednesday, the National Anthem played for 52 seconds not once but twice, with Jadhav at the centre of attention.
It's a remarkable growth story for somebody who considered leaving archery behind just two years ago because he felt his career was going nowhere. It's even more remarkable considering he had to borrow arrows to compete at the trials to represent the country. His mother even had to sell jewellery to buy professional compound bows. No wonder he got emotional while speaking with his parents back home.
Practice, gym, recovery, sleep and then practice again. Rinse, repeat. Sports turned into a repetitive cycle of life that could be boring. There is hardly anything an athlete does except for practice.
On Wednesday, he became one of those athletes to win two golds in one day – men's team and mixed. The latter also secured him a place at the Los Angeles Olympics two years later.
Sahil always speaks about the sacrifices his parents made for him. His father Rajesh Jadhav lost his job in 2022. It was a big struggle for Sahil to pursue his most passionate sport. But his father always told him to keep going.
Sahil is from the famous Archery Academy in Satara, Maharashtra that produced archers like Aditi, Ojas Deotale and more. He shifted to National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata two years ago. Despite their meagre earnings, they kept supporting Sahil. His parents and coach kept telling him that results would come..
That came in the 2025 World University Games where he was close to scoring an improbable 150 but fell short by one point. His first international last year set the tone. Soon, he became the country's top compound archer. Securing Olympic quota for India was a bonus. “The feeling is great and result of a lot of hard work,” said Sahil.
There is another reason for all compound archers doing well there in Nagoya. They felt the competition, except for the top positions, was not like Nationals back home. “It is a lot tougher in our domestic competitions,” Sahil said. That, according to him, helped in reducing pressure. “We did not have much pressure because of that,” he said.
Life a struggle
Life itself has been a struggle for Sahil. His next aim is to get a Class One job in the Maharashtra government. He was anxious after turning 25 as he was getting older for certain government jobs. He was torn between his career as an archer and his obligation to support his family. His father Rajesh vividly speaks about this in the end of 2024. He told him that this was his last year to win medals or else leave archery. “He competed with borrowed arrows during the selection trials and earned a place in the India team,” said his father. Things started taking a better turn. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) provided him with a new bow (the one he was using was five years old).
Born to a modest family, it was not easy for Sahil.
Something happened with Sahil. He took all opportunities and had Asian Games in his mind. For someone who endured the hardship of life, pressure in the final was nothing. “There was no pressure,” he said in the mixed zone. In fact, his last shot was a 10.
The meticulous training helped. “We trained at Shilaroo in the cold and in Sonepat as well,” Sahil said. “We adjusted with the conditions. Our nationals are even more competitive, so there was not much pressure.”
Rajesh still remembers the days when he had to survive with odd jobs here and there. Just before Covid, the company he was working with shut down. When Covid happened, it got worse. “I was doing jobs that would give me `10000 - `12000 a month,” he said. Not ideal for supporting a child pursuing a professional sport like archery. He had to struggle to find a job for two years. At that time, Sahil was at the SAI National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata.
For Sahil, though, the icing on the cake was the Olympics with T Chikitha. Though an individual sport, they play as a team. “We know each other’s games, so we keep prompting from behind to adjust their game, here and there or we keep egging them on,” said Sahil.
Though the Olympic quota has been secured, the team will be finalised close to the Olympics. Sahil said the quota is for the country and he would do his best to remain in the mixed team as the top player. For now, though, a small break.