The smile is back on Deepika Kumari’s face! The star woman archer, who was struggling with her technique and form earlier this year, is on the path to rediscovering herself after going back to the basics.
Nearly a month ahead of the Asian Games in Incheon, Korea, Deepika sounded an alert by claiming three medals, including the recurve women’s team gold (with Laxmi Rani Majhi and L. Bombayala Devi), in the fourth leg of the archery World Cup at Wroclaw, Poland.
Altogether, the Indian archers returned five medals, including a compound mixed team silver. “I was confused after being trained by the Korean coach (Chae Wong Lim). I could neither utilise my old technique, nor make the best use of the new one. There was a problem in my hooking, gripping and anchoring.
“After getting out of the team for the third World Cup, I went back to Jamshedpur to train with my childhood coach (Dharmendra Tiwari), who asked me to get back to my old technique. And it helped,” Deepika said on arrival from Wroclaw on Tuesday.
However, she was not too excited about her recent form. “Still, there are some weaknesses and I am working to sort those out. Tiwari is with me, and I will make sure that he stays with me for future events as well.”
Tiwari said Deepika suffered due to a change in equipment and technique. “She has gone back to her old equipment and technique. She should carry forward the good form to the Asian Games, and attain her peak in Korea.”
Deepika said she was trying to filter the inputs from the foreign coach while competing in team events. “I listen to what he says, and pick up the points which I feel are beneficial.”
ExperienceDeepika, who finished fourth in the women’s individual event at the 2010 Asian Games, said she felt more confident now. “Last time, I was very young and used to shoot without caring for anything. Now, I have gained a lot of experience and will try to make less number of mistakes.”
Jayanta Talukdar, who bagged the recurve men’s team silver (with Tarundeep Rai and Atanu Das) and the mixed team bronze (with Deepika), said he was still making some technical adjustments and trying to overcome a stiff grip to shoot better at the Asiad.
“I am doing well in practice. But I have to prepare myself to cope with the pressure of shooting in competitions,” he said.
The Archery Association of India (AAI) has decided to send the archers to Gwangju (Korea) for 20 days of acclimatisation and training. “They will remain there till September 16 before moving to the Asian Games Village,” said AAI president Prof. V.K. Malhotra.
The compound archers have already arrived in the USA for training at the famous Easton Salt Lake Archery Centre in Utah for 10 days, before moving to Gwangju. “They will become familiar with their sophisticated bows and do some mental training in the USA,” said Malhotra.
