The Hindu : Sport : Tough task for India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 12, 2007
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Sport - Sports : General

Tough task for India

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: India’s most experienced recurve archer Tarundeep Rai let the team down with a shoddy display, resulting India, ranked 14th, drawing a tough first-round opponent in third-ranked Italy in the team championship of the 44th World championship at Leipzig on Tuesday.

Italy, arguably the most accomplished team in Europe, has an Olympic champion in Marco Galiazzo (2004 Athens), 2003 World champion Michele Frangilli and Ilario di Buo, the runner-up in the World Cup finals last year.

The difference between the two sides is considerable, not just 72 points.

Apart from rookie Rahul Banerjee (1,330 points), whose commendable performance earned him 14th rank and by far the best placing achieved by an Indian in this championship, the plummeting form of Rai (64th, 1,280) was a cause for concern. The capability of Somai Murmu (54th, 1,292) can never be predicated given the pressure situation he will be in.

Tough field

A victory against Italy will enable India to seal the three Beijing Olympic berths, for it will be next to impossible for all three to qualify from the individual competition considering the field they are in.

Rai will run into top-seed Lee Chang Hwan of Korea in the second round provided he wins his first round against the 65th ranked Martin Bulir of the Czech Republic. Murmu will take on the 75th ranked Thomas Aubert of France. If he wins, he will come across 11th-seed Kim Ha-Neul of Australia.

Banerjee seems to have a comparatively easier draw.

Drawn in the fifth cluster of 16 names, Banerjee is the second highest ranked in the group.

Banerjee will meet Wei only at the pre-quarterfinal stage provided both win three successive rounds. And Wei will have to overcome 2005 recurve runner-up Ryuichi Moriya of Japan in the second round.

The fact remains the Olympic round knockout competition is like Russian roulette. Will this bring cheer in the Indian camp?

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