The script will once again revolve around Commonwealth Games gold medallist Deepika Kumari when India begins its quest for an archery medal at the Rio Olympics.
The young Jharkhand archer stunned the world by shooting a world record-equalling total in the World Cup event in Shanghai in 2016 when she punched 686 out of 720 to match the feat of 2012 London Olympics gold medallist Ki Bo-bae of Korea.
This would have sent a strong message to the mighty Koreans that Deepika is all set to give them a run for their money. The Indian women hogged the limelight by bagging a silver in the team event of the World championship at Copenhagen last year.
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Their consistent performances in the World Cups have boosted not only their morale, but those of the administrators and coaches as well.
“Her [Deepika] confidence is growing steadily. A bit of luck is needed, especially when an archer competes in the medal-deciding match. Her self-belief and assurance will help her perform well on the big stage,” said Laguri Chandrasekhar, a recurve coach from Jharkhand, who is presently coaching at the Volga Archery Academy in Vijayawada.
Mentally strongerADVERTISEMENT
The 22-year-old Deepika is not what she was four years ago. She has become stronger, both mentally and professionally. “She was just 18 and the World No. 1 when she took part at the London Olympics. The burden was more as she carried too many expectations, forcing her to crack early,” said Chandrasekhar.
Many coaches felt that Deepika has the quality to match the better-qualified and higher-ranked archers. “She is mentally tough and that is her USP,” said Ravi Shankar, an Indian recurve coach at the Army Sports Institute (Pune).
The London debacle, following unprecedented hype, forced the administrators to take stock of things.
They began their preparation for Rio early, giving the top archers the much-needed exposure and time to get into their groove.
They also introduced yoga and advanced mental training to help the archers gain control over body and mind.
According to Ravi Shankar, everything depends on the physical and mental fitness on that particular day.
“More than the technique, what matters is your temperament when you are pitched against the best in the world,” he said.
When Sambadrome, the venue for archery at the Rio Olympics, opened for the competitors, the Indians were the first to reach there and get acclimatised. “The current form of the three women archers [Deepika, Bombayla Devi and Laxmirani Majhi] is heartening, and they are shooting confidently. All three are of the same standard. The experience of Bombayla who is taking part in her third Olympics will also play a crucial role,” said Ravi Shankar.
For debutant Atanu Das, the Rio Games will be an exposure trip and a learning curve. Though Atanu is in fine nick, he may not last long as the field is strong.
Moreover, he is yet to pull off a win against world-class archers. The coaches feel that Atanu has to perform really well to justify his inclusion.
However, history reminds us that at major events the Indian recurve team hasn’t lived up to expectations when compared to the men’s compound squad.
Rio presents a big opportunity to change that.