India is no stranger to the sport of archery. We all have heard the tale of Arjun winning the hand of Draupadi in marriage after using a bow and arrow to aim for a fish’s eye despite only looking at the target’s reflection in water in the epic tale of Mahabharat.
Despite making her Olympic debut in 1988, India never looked serious contenders until an 18-year-old Deepika Kumari became World No. 1 in 2012 and raised the hopes of a billion people ahead of the London Olympics. The less said about the debacle at the 2012 Olympic Games the better, though, as the 6-member Indian archery contingent collectively failed under pressure.
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This time, India has sent out 4 archers and despite last edition’s horrendous show, Archery is one of India’s best bets for an Olympic medal. Deepika Kumar, Laxmirani Majhi, Bombayla Devi, and Atanu Das will be shouldering over a billion expectations when they get into the thick of the action at the Sambadrome – the venue for archery at Rio.
The 4 archers, who have decided to skip the Opening Ceremony in order to focus on getting India her first ever Olympic medal in the sport, will be in action from the very first day. So, without further ado, let’s analyse the Indian Archery contingent for the 2016 Olympics:
Strengths
Team Composition – In the women’s category, India have sent out her 3 best archers to participate in the team and individual events. 31-year-old Bombayla Devi may be ranked a lowly 69 in the world, but her experience is second to none and she has been India’s most consistent archer in recent times. 27-year-old Laxmirani Majhi will be shooting the second arrow in the team events for India and the World No. 15, making her Olympic debut, would be an important asset to the team.
There is no doubt that the star of the show is 22-year-old Deepika Kumari, who will be taking the third shot in the team’s event. The World No. 12 from Jamshedpur had broken the World Record twice in the trials before equalling it exactly 100 days before the Games. With the perfect amalgamation of youth and experience, the team looks extremely strong on paper with each player covering the others’ shortcomings.
Preparation – At Rio, the Indian archers will be aching to erase the 4-year-old memory and in order to make sure the debacle doesn’t repeat, they have left no stone unturned in their preparations. From training in windy and cooler conditions in Bangalore to reaching Brazil 1 month before the tournament to acclimatise themselves, they’ve made sure getting used to the conditions will not be an issue.
Hiring eminent mental trainer Lorenzo Beltrame (worked with Pete Sampras and Jim Courier) and roping in respected sports psychologist Bhishmraj Bam is a positive move for a team which choked miserably in London. With yoga sessions also part of their training routine, the Indian team is leaving nothing to chance as they aim to erase the demons from London.
Weaknesses
Men’s category – For Rio, India failed to win a team spot in men’s archery. With only 1 quota place, 24-year-old Atanu Das was picked over more experienced archers like Jayanta Talukdar and Mangal Singh Champia to represent the country at the Games. The World No. 22 is unlikely to reach the later stages of the competition and one hopes that his exit doesn’t remind the team of the ghosts of London.
Adjusting to wind conditions– Archery has a notorious habit of playing second fiddle to wind and letting it run the sport. After the windy conditions in London, the archers from all over the world, not just India, will be happy with the climate in Rio. However, Brazil isn’t a giant vacuum and wind is likely to play a part. Having failed to adjust to the flow of the air before, the Indian team will have to be at their best to factor in the constantly changing wind speed and direction when they are in action.
Opportunities
Creating history – India has never won an Olympic medal in Archery and had their best chance in London. With their best archer Deepika 4 years elder, this could turn out to be a defining moment in Indian sport. We all saw how Leander Paes’ bronze medal in Atlanta 1996 turned tennis into one of the mainstream sports and Saina Nehwal’s exploits in London lifted Indian badminton to new heights. The country’s archery team can etch their name in sporting history and make Rio into a watershed moment for the sport in India.
Dark horses – India enter this edition’s archery events as the dark horses. After Korea, who are likely to rule the roost in most categories, it is the archers from Italy, Chinese Taipei, USA, France and Belgium who have been touted as the next best hopefuls for the Olympic medal. Being in the limelight in London turned out to be the undoing of the Indian team and they’ll be glad they can go about doing their work under the radar. The expectations on them are considerably less time around and this could work in favour of the Indian archers.
Threats
South Korea – It is very rare to see one country dominate a sport being played worldwide, but South Korea’s hold in Archery is second to none, especially in women’s archery. With 19 golds out of 36 on offer ever since they made their debut, the Koreans are sitting pretty on their perch and are likely to scoop up the medals in Rio. Usurping the team which has won all 7 women’s team gold medals will be one of India’s biggest challenges.
Failure to turn up on the big stage again – After Indian archers choked miserable in London, with the both Deepika and the men crashing out in the first round. Failing to adjust to the wind conditions, falling sick due to weather change, and the inability to deal with pressure mentally led to their virtual no-show in London. Having never won a medal in the Olympics despite participating in 7 out of the 16 editions when archery was a part of the games, it shouldn’t be a shock if the Indian team fails for the 8th time running.
The women’s team event medal round is scheduled for 7th August while the women’s and men’s individual events will take place on 11th and 12th August respectively. The 4-member strong team will be hoping to create history and return from the South American nation with, at least, a medal around their shoulders. Here’s wishing the best of luck to them – May the archery gods be with you!
