It might be her sheer zeal that would have prompted Janu Purty to refuse to a marriage proposal and continue with her love to bows and arrows, despite knowing fully well that even basic sports equipment are not in her fate! The archer from West Singhbhum went on to take part in Junior National Games held at Assam and played well, but with stark reality back of her mind.
"I am running West Singhbhum centre for last four years without any Government support. Whatever bows we have are donations coming from old players. We have to virtually beg for that considering the high cost. We are just relying on individual efforts," says Maharshi Mahendra Singh, the coach that figures Janu Putry and around 50 others. Though the West Singhbhum District Archery Association exists, there as paper lion even without office premise, coaches and desired equipment.
The Association along with 11 others from various districts is in Ranchi to take part in a junior level State archery competition without much fanfare and enthusiasm. The viewers gave a snub to even, besides Sports Department officials, as entire arena Morhabadi remained empty during the most part of the two-day event.
This is not the ordeal of an individual from the area that has produced likes of Mangal Singh Champia and Manjhi Sawayan who represented India in the Beijing and Athens Olympics, respectively. like others, it is a common tale that vindicates the apathy of the indigenous sports in the hands of government in Jharkhand.
"However, we have name like SAIl at Boakro but they turn blind eyes when it comes to support us. I train 30-40 talented archers from villages by managing with fund meant for Paika. There is huge shortage of fund for the sports and the company just remains interested in clicking photographs when players come with medals," says Karan Kumar Karmakar, a trainer at Bokaro. Now when the fund for Paika is drying down time for archery is running out as well.
Cracking ground for archery has its bearings on performance of Jharkhand when the players missed to hit on target at the national level. In the Assam Junior National Games taken place in November this year the State team had to settle for Silver for boys and Bronze for girls. Shiv Kumar of Seraikela-Kharsawan though secured Silver in individual event. Performance for the senior team at Jabalpur dipped further when not bigger than Bronze medals fell in the kitty, none to the boys. Solace came with three boys qualified for the 35th National Games slated to take place in Kerala.
Amid gloom, silver lining for the sport in Jharkhand is coming in the form of individual academies run by influential politicians. "We have 164 boys and girls getting trained at Silli. Since the Birsa Munda Archery Centre has come up over there three years ago, archery has become very popular. We have produced five national champions in one year time and won 210 medals in three years," lauds Prakash Ram, a national player turned coach of the Academy run under the aegis of former Deputy Chief Minister and AJSU party leader Sudesh Mahto. The team as expected remained overall champion in the event.
Unfortunately, such efforts are thus far limiting to centres such as Jamshedpur and Silli, leaving as many as 10 districts, where the sport is quite popular, in the hands of unresponsive government system. Even the Sports Minister admits this lacuna and as expected throws hollow promises for a better future. "We are committed to encourage archery that is why a State level competition for junior archers has been organised. But a lot has to be done. We cannot remain dependent on Tata Academy only. The Department is working to setup academes at every potential district that can be done with private participation," said Geetashree Oraon.
The promises are there but for Janu Purty and others getting Rs 4.65 lakh for installing a toilet facility at home like Deepika Kumari's parents is as distant a dream as hitting International arena with the (un) available support base.