CHENNAI: On a calm evening in Essen, Germany, 24-year-old compound archer from Satara, Maharashtra Sahil Jadhav took the Zeche Zollverein arena by storm. After missing out on qualification for previous Archery World Cups, the FISU World University Games was his last opportunity. He made most of it, as he put up a perfect performance to clinch gold on Saturday (July 26).
Sahil's journey in the sport, saw his father lose his job, mother selling her jewellery to cover expenses for his equipment and him almost calling it quits. That gold medal is a full-circle moment for the family, as their sacrifices paid off.
A display of marksmanship in the men's compound final got him gold as he edged Great Britain's Ajay Scott 149-148. Earlier that day, he edged his compatriot and favourite for the title Kushal Dalal in the semifinal. "My coach kept telling me to maintain my focus and discipline. That helped with my consistency there," he told this daily. What makes Sahil's medal winning performance significant is the stakes of losing. He failed to qualify for the Archery World Cups for the past two years. He felt that this stage was his last chance saloon, due to the age barrier in the University Games. "This tournament was a do-or-die for me, and I am happy to have clinched gold," he added.
Sahil ended up disappointed in the national selection trials. He has missed out on qualifying to World Cups (of 2024 and 2025) and the World Championships in Gwangju, Korea by narrow margins. What made it even difficult was the fact that his father Rajesh Jadhav, did not have a stable job. "After he lost his job in the beginning of 2022, it became difficult to look after the expenses," he said.
But his parents ensured that his journey in Archery continued. "My mother had sold her jewellery to cover up the costs for my equipment. They ensured I trained everyday in SAI's National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata," he explained.
The parents will now be waiting for their son to return with a shining gold medal, which stands attested to their sacrifices. Currently, he is in Delhi and will return home this week. "Sahil made our dreams come true, he brought back our hopes in life," Rajesh told this daily with a relieved tone.
He explained how he kept insisting that he should not give up the sport, whenever he thought of quitting. "I always supported him and we thought it was unfair to make him drop the sport when he was so close. With his friends in college landing jobs, we were worried about his prospects for one. But we ensured that did not affect him and it paid off (in the University Games)."
Glad to see support paying off in gold: Coach
While Pravin Sawant's Drushti Archery Academy in Satara may have produced the likes of Asiad medallists Aditi Swami and Ojas Deotale, he wouldn't have felt that sigh of relief like he felt for Sahil's win. Sahil trained with Pravin first before switching to the NCOE in Kolkata. "Once his father lost his job, things became difficult. I convinced them that he is given time to train," he told this daily.
It was Sahil's positive outlook that stood out for the coach. "He was a determined kid. He has a positive outlook towards life. Apart from that, he is also a kind human being," Sawant said.