New Delhi, September 16: Ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Indian archery received a major boost and renewed confidence after Dhiraj Bommadevara ended the country’s 19-year wait for a men’s Archery World Cup Final gold.
Dhiraj produced a stunning performance at the season-ending World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico, winning gold just days before the Asian Games. The Indian recurve archer had earlier defeated double Olympic medallist Lee Woo-Seok of Korea to claim gold at the Antalya Stage 3 in June.
Former archer and World Champion Dola Banerjee believes that Dhiraj’s gold medal will give a lot of confidence not only to him but to the entire contingent. Dola became India’s first Archery World Cup gold medallist when she won in Dubai in 2007.
“Competing among the season’s top eight archers and winning gold is not easy. Definitely, the win would have boosted his confidence big time. He’s undoubtedly in the peak form of his life. Yes, it’s a proud moment for Indian archery that I’m joined by someone after 19 years. There is confidence in his body language. It comes when you’re shooting well, and he has reached that stage,” she said, quoted by the PTI.
Asian Games Charge
Post World Cup triumph, Dhiraj will now spearhead a new-look men’s recurve team at the Asian Games with newcomers Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge in the ranks. The women’s recurve team features teenagers Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod, with Ankita as the experienced member.
India had an exceptional outing at Hangzhou, where its compound archers won all five gold medals on offer. The contingent finished with a record nine medals (5 gold, 1 silver & 3 bronze).
However, several established names, including Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das and Abhishek Verma, have missed out on selection this time. Defending champion Ojas Deotale, who won three gold medals in Hangzhou, also failed to make the team following the trials.
Positive Impact For New-Look Archery Team
Dola believes Dhiraj’s form can have a positive impact on the younger members of the squad, which looks completely new.
“When someone does well, he also inspires the entire team around him. So Dhiraj’s triumph is a big boost not only for him but the entire recurve contingent. We are hoping for a better show than last time.”
While she refrained from predicting medal colours, Dola expects India to improve its overall tally. “I can’t predict the colour, but the total number of medals should be more this time. We will definitely win more.”
With strong Korean and Chinese contingents expected, India faces a demanding challenge in the archery events. Dola, however, believes the combination of Dhiraj’s experience and the energy of the younger archers can help India build on its Hangzhou performance.