Since the Middle Ages, archery—which is derived from the Latin word “arcus,” which means bow—has become a popular sport worldwide. Six archers from Indian Archery team have been selected to compete in the Olympics in Paris with the hopes of winning a medal or two. With just one week till the Games, Indian Archery has always been a sport full of promise for India because of its steady success in international competitions. The country is excited to compete in the forthcoming Games with its archery abilities on display.
A Brief History of Archery
One of the oldest sports, archery, has a long and illustrious history that dates back to antiquity. It may be separated into two periods: the modern era and the early period. Because of regional regulations, the sport was irregular in the early years. To return to the Games, World Archery was established in 1931. Since its reintroduction to the Olympic Program in 1972, the sport has been included every time. Individual competitions took place from 1972 to 1984, with the addition of the team event in 1988. In 2020, a mixed-team event was added. India hopes to place on the podium in the next competition even though they haven’t yet taken home any medals in the sport.
Archery in India & Progress
- Three years after archery was included as an Olympic event at the Munich Games in 1972, India’s history with the sport began in 1975.
- The inaugural Senior National Archery Championship took place in Delhi in 1973, with arrows and bamboo bows manufactured in West Bengal and Meghalaya being used by the competitors.
- India hosted the first-ever Asian meet in Calcutta in 1980, and the Asian Archery Federation (AAI) was established in 1978.
- The first Commonwealth Archery Championship took place in New Delhi in 1995, and the sport was added to the 2010 Commonwealth Games schedule.
- In the middle of the 1980s, skilled archers from the rural belt began to acquire prominence in Indian archery.
- The Indian Men’s Team earned a Bronze Medal in the 5th Asian Championship in Kolkata in 1987, marking the start of Indian archery’s success at international games.
- 1993 saw the introduction of the Indian Round event, while 2004 saw the addition of the Compound Archery competition to the National Championship.
- India has always performed well in international and World Cup archery competitions. Notable winners include Limba Ram, Mrs Dola Banerjee, Rajat Chouhan, Atul Verma, Akash, and Ravinder Singh, who received the Padma Shri Award.
Indian Contingent
- World No. 12 Dhiraj Bommadevara has competed in four events this year, placing second twice, and has an 81% victory.
- Korean and Chinese archers will be hard to beat. World No. 31 Tarundeep Rai has not progressed past the second round of events and has a win percentage of 64.
- Pravin Jadhav, who is rated 114, has a 43% victory and has never finished on the podium in a competition.
- The most decorated Indian archer, Deepika Kumari, earned a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and has a victory percentage of 75%.
- Bhajan Kaur rated 45, is under-represented on the international scene despite having a 64% victory.
- World No. 40 Ankita Bhakat, who will compete in her first Olympics, has a 60% victory. The Indian team had a difficult time winning a medal.
India’s Track Record
- When the Indian team sent archers to the 1988 Olympics, it was a dismal performance for the country.
- The nation then often submitted a team for archery, although none of the archers placed in the top 20 in the individual competition, and they routinely struggled in the team competition as well.
- Satyadev Prasad placed tenth in the men’s event at the 2004 Athens Games, while Reena Kumari came in at fifteenth.
- The women’s team finished the Games in ninth place, putting up an outstanding display.
- But in the subsequent competitions, Indian archers were unable to improve upon their results, and the country has yet to take home a medal in archery.
Conclusion
India has participated in the Olympics since 1972 and has a long history of archery extending back to the Middle Ages. India’s track record has been dismal, with no medals at the 1988 Olympics or any other contests, despite its success in international and World Cup tournaments. India wants to compete well in archery at the next Games.
