NEW DELHI: A couple of days have elapsed since Abhishek Verma clinched gold in the compound section of the Archery World Cup in Paris. He is no stranger to climbing the dais to stand at the topmost step, with this being his second individual gold. However, this victory came under slightly different circumstances.
The last time India's compound archers were part of a training camp was April 16 following which all non-Olympic camps were disbanded. Their last competitive outing was more than two years back. The only training they could manage in the last couple of months in India was all inside the confines of their homes due to the lockdown restrictions imposed in the country. Usually, such a build-up is not heard off prior to such a prestigious international meet.
Abhishek acknowledged the difficulties leading up to the historic triumph and also revealed that there was a growing urge this time around to show what he can do. "Usually when I participate in international events, I'm confident of winning a medal, be it individual or in team events. But this was different as only after reaching Paris could all of us train. I've never been this nervous in a long time but also there was a fire burning inside me to prove myself all over again," he told this daily after arriving back in the country.
And he proved himself with his third overall gold in World Cups, his 12th podium finish which qualifies him for the season-ending Archery World Cup final at Yankton. He was felicitated by AAI president Arjun Munda on his arrival back home. And the 32-year-old understands that in an Olympic year, recurve archery gains importance and is not perturbed by the lack of training leading up to the World Cup.
"It was difficult. I was training indoors just working on muscle memory while sometimes I got the chance to practice at a nearby ground but that is all. I kept myself busy by organising zoom sessions with budding archers and provided them with tips on how to improve. What really helped was the quarantine camp in Paris for which I'm thankful to the federation and SAI," the Arjuna awardee added.
India's compound archers still have the World Championships, Asian Championships to contend with while the Commonwealth Games gold medallist will also be in attendance at the Yankton Final. "We have many important competitions coming up and we need our own camp and selection trial. Hopefully, post-Olympics, we can start our preparations so that I can once again make the country proud when the time comes," he signed off.