City-based Volga Archery Academy archers erupted in joy as its senior archers did India proud at the first Asian Grand Prix championship that concluded at Bangkok by helping their country win men’s compound team gold and also the individual gold in the men’s compound segment.
Nineteen-year-old Ch. Jignas, academy’s favourite archer, who is working in Indian Army as Naik Subedar, grabbed the gold in the individual segment by defeating China’s He Ying by 145-142. He, along with Sandeep Kumar and Abhishek Varma clinched the team gold by outplaying Vietnam in the final.
“Jignas is gradually peaking and consistency is his forte. Recently he added a new setting - spiral ram - to his bow to improve his performance.
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His Bangkok show clearly shows that he is on the right track,” said his mentor and chairman of the academy Ch. Satyanarayana. Jignas after his eight years of coaching stint, joined Indian Army and he is representing Services Sports Promotion Board in national events.
Jignas, out of 150, scored 144 (twice), 145 (twice) and 147 in the elimination rounds and garnered an impressive total of 687. “To achieve this level of scoring one should be blessed with extreme concentration and nerves of steel,” felt J. Rama Rao, compound coach and an Indian Railways archer.
Jignas, who was nurtured by late India coach Cherukuri Lenin, is a serious contender for a berth in the Indian team for the Asian Games to be held at Incheon (South Korea) in 2014.
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Finishing eight in the individual segment was Ritul Chatterjee, a student of Satavahana College, who scored 139. “Ritul is going through rough weather. But he is made of sterner stuff and he will bounce back. Finishing eight in the Asia’s top 32 is not an east task,” felt Satyanarayana.
City archer Jyothi Surekha’s absence was felt as Indian’s women compound team bowed out in the quarterfinal. “Surekha was unable to take part in the Bangkok tourney as she was appearing for the intermediate exams. “She is the No.1 archer of India and her participation would have certainly helped India score more,” felt her father Surendra.
This talented trio of Vijayawada – Jignas, Surekha and Ritul - will be taking part in the national ranking tournament to be held at Jamshedpur from April 4 to 6 in which the Indian team for the future will be selected. “Along with the three, Apoorvasha Shinde who is ranked 13th in Indian women compound segment, will also contest for the slot in the Indian team,” said coach Rama Rao.
The Vijayawada academy also has talented youngsters like Sunendhu Roy, M. Chiranjeevi, Naveen, Bobba Akhil Chowdary, Jyostna, Omkar and Aveesh, who are training hard to don the Indian colours in the prestigious events like Asian Games and the Olympics.