NEW DELHI: Thirty-five international archers, including two from India, have been chosen to receive grants from World Archery (WA) and the Foundation for Global Sports Development’s Covid-19 fund. Rajat Chauhan and Aman Saini are the two compound archers from the country.
Around 122 had submitted their names following which the applications were assessed. After further evaluation, the final list was pruned down to 35, representing 19 countries and four continents. A total of $190,000 will be distributed in amounts between $1500 and $7500 per athlete.
Both Saini and Chauhan are without government jobs and rely on the sport for a livelihood. “When I saw the scheme, I filed an application. I’m glad I was chosen by WA and I have to commend this initiative. There are a lot of expenses, from practice venue fees, paying the coach, buying archery as well as fitness equipment. It will be a boost, considering that we have no competition till the year-end and no other source of income,” Chauhan told this daily.
The requirements to be eligible for the scheme made it mandatory for the archers to have competed internationally in 2018 or 2019, prove they had lost significant income and propose how the money would be spent. Each archer’s recent results and the availability of alternative funding were also taken into account.
“We will have to show them where we have used the funds and provide original bills. They were quite strict during the procedure, getting to know all the details of an applicant with all candidates having to furnish relevant information and sign a self-declaration form,” Saini added.