Tag Archives: archery

Sports

Difficult task ahead for women archers to secure full quota at Olympics: Deepika Kumari

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Harpal Singh Bedi

New Delhi:Ace archer Deepika Kumari feels that lack of competitions due to lockdown has made it tough for Indian women to secure full quote for next year’s Olympics.

The former world number 1 was of the view that women archers had worked really hard and were confident of fulfilling the quota but their preparations and hard work suffered a huge setback because COVID-19 lockdown.

Talking to paddler Mudit Dani in his online chat show ’In The Sportlight’ Deepika said that best chances of earning the full quote for next year’s Olympics is at stake with just one tournament to qualify from, and two spots to earn.

“We were completely blanked as qualifiers were in a month’s time when the lockdown happened, our practice was going really well but then suddenly we had no idea what to do. Right now, we only have one quota spot in the women’s category and only one qualifier is left to secure the two other quota places.

Normally we always secure a full quota by this period, but it is different this time around,” said the two-time world champion

Deepika, currently only Indian woman archer to have secured a spot at the Tokyo Games after winning gold at the Asian Continental Qualification Tournament in Bangkok last year, also recalled that despite being a two-time Olympian, she has never been part of an Games Opening Ceremony.

“In archery our ranking begins on the same day as the opening ceremony. So we feel sad that I have never been to any opening ceremony and have only watched it on TV,” Deepika said.

After failing to secure the team quota at the World Championships in June last year, the Indian women’s archery team will have their last shot to secure the full Olympics quota in Paris, as a separate tournament is planned ahead of the Archery World Cup in June next year.

The 26-year-old Ranchi girl, currently ranked ninth in the world, is part of the national camp which is training at the ASI in Pune.picked up the bow and arrow for the first time in 2007 and after that never looked back.

HSBN

Sports

I am well prepared for Tokyo Olympics: Archer Atanu Das

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Harpal Singh Bedi

Atanu Das

New Delhi: Ace Indian archer Atanu Das has promised to put up his best performance in Olympics asserting ‘Tokyo will be the best one, I will be a lot more prepared’

Talking to paddler Mudit Dani on the latter’s online live chat show ‘In the Sportlight’, Atanu said he is confident of a successful show at next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

The archer admitted that the setback he at Rio Olympics helped him reassess the way he trained and approached his game.

“I was very excited for my first-ever Olympics in Rio. Unfortunately, I lost in the quarters. I was very disappointed after that loss. I didn’t want to talk to anyone for the first two months. I learned a lot from that loss,” he said

“Now I’m preparing very hard for the Olympics. Rio 2016 was my first one but Tokyo will be the best one, I will be a lot more prepared,”

The Asian Championship bronze medallist took up archery in 2006 when he was 14 years old and soon made the headlines after producing impressive performances at national as well as international level.

He recently tied the knot with star archer Deepika Kumari recently. When asked to name the winner if he plays against wife Kumari, Das anticipates a strong contest but feels he will hold an edge over her.

Atanu , currently training at ASI Pune, has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics along with compatriots Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav in the men’s recurve team event with an impressive show at the 2019 World Championships.

HSB

Sports

The support of Assam people raises my confidence: Promila Daimary

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Newsroom24x7 Network

New Delhi: Archery Asia Cup 2018 gold medallist Promila Daimary, who hails from Assam’s Udalguri village, expressed that the support from the people of her home state raises her confidence. Daimary added that she is hoping for Assam to be the champions in the third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games. The competition will be played between 10 January 2020 to 22 January 2020.

“I get a lot of confidence when I get to know that the people of Assam are supporting me. I am hoping for Assam to be the champions in the third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games. I would like to tell all the athletes who will participate in Assam that I support them. They should try their best to win medals,” said Daimary.
The 22-year-old, who finished at the top ten at the Berlin and Antalya World Cups this year, played her first Nationals tournament in 2012. Daimary went on to represent India for the first time in 2016. The archer lauded the Khelo India Youth Games, saying that the tournament is a big one for youngsters.

“I played Nationals in 2012 and participated in my first international tournament in 2016. Khleo India Youth Games is a big tournament. So many disciplines are played in one tournament. It’s quite a big competition for youngsters. It’s an excellent platform for upcoming athletes to showcase their talent,” said Daimary.

Daimary, who is one of the top archers in India, explained her regular training regime.

“We focus on physical activity in the morning. We have two sessions of archery training during the course of the day. Our coaches emphasize on confidence, playing with a strong mind and focusing on the sport,” signed off Daimary.

Sports

IOA on its own cannot pull out of the 2022 CWG Games: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju

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Harpal Singh Bedi

Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi: Sports minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday made it clear that a decision about not taking part in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games following the omission of shooting from the event’s cannot be left to the Indian Olympic Association alone.

IOA has threatened to boycott the 2022 Games protesting the decision to drop shooting from the competition in which India had won as many as 16 shooting medals out of a total haul off 66 in the 2018 Gold Coast CWG

Last week, the Commonwealth Games Federation at its Executive Board meeting dropped shooting and Archery from the Games while recommending the inclusion of three new sports.

Rijiju said he will discuss the issue in details with the shooting federation (NRAI) and IOA before taking a decision. “I haven’t discussed with the shooting federation. Officially I don’t know about their position. If you have to boycott, you have to ask the government because these decisions are not to be taken unilaterally, it has to be done through proper consultation,”

“It is a matter of future of our athletes and national prestige, everything is involved. Our IOA must have taken a stand and we will discuss with them.”

Asked about the IOA’s submission of a formal expression of interest to bid for the 2032 Olympic Games,the minister said he was not averse to the idea of hosting of mega events .

“It is a pride for any nation to host international events, who wouldn’t want to have an Olympics, Wrld Cup or any other international championship. The question is you prepared for that? And how much you are putting in preparation for that,”

“You can’t just have an event and then create an embarrassing situation. It is not about hosting the event but hosting it in a befitting manner.

“There is no doubt as a nation we will feel proud if we can host an Olympics . We are positive and we will discuss with IOA and then we will formulate … these are big decisions and can’t be spoken out in the heat of the moment. Proper planning and through discussion is required.”

Talking about the much awaited National Sports Code Rijiju said “After I took over, I haven’t gone through the entire provisions, and there is a matter in the court also, so if the new sports code has to be adopted it has to be done through proper consultations with stakeholders.

“I want to work with all the federations and IOA. We are one, we don’t have contradictory interests or ideas, and we are working for the interest of sports. It should be done as soon as possible but whenever we do it we will do it in consultation.