The Archery Association of India (AAI), on Friday, named Chae Woong Lim as the foreign coach of the Indian recurve archery team.
Following an Executive Committee meeting of the National federation here, AAI secretary general Anil Kamineni said the Sports Authority of India (SAI) would finalise Lim’s appointment.
Lim, who has been working with Indian archers for over a decade, is presently employed with the Army.
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“We have spoken to the Army about Lim’s employment (as coach of the Indian team) and the formalities are being worked out,” said Kamineni.
Kamineni said AAI would find a formula so that both senior and junior archers can benefit from Lim’s knowledge.
“Since compound archery has been included in the 2014 Asian Games, we are also searching for a competent compound coach,” he added. AAI president V.K. Malhotra said the federation had been organising National championships and National ranking tournaments on its own. “In all, Rs. 50 lakh will be disbursed to the archers and coaches for five National ranking events this year,” he said. Malhotra said nine committees had been formed to manage and streamline the functioning of the sport.
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Taking a dig at the Government for its withdrawal of recognition from AAI on the issue of age and tenure, 81-year-old Malhotra claimed that on one hand the Sports Ministry had, in an RTI reply, recognised him as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) acting president, but, on the other hand, refused to recognise him as AAI chief.
“There is no bar on age and tenure in the world archery body. The International Archery Federation recognises AAI and the Indian teams are participating in various competitions under the National flag,” said Malhotra.
Meanwhile, three judges — Rupesh Kar, Paia W. Nongbari and Dr. Joris Paulose — have been promoted as world archery judges.