World’s second ranked Recurve Woman Archer Deepika Kumari’s coach Purnima Mahto at Tata Archery Academy (Jamshedpur) is not entirely happy with her performance as she feels Deepika needs to practice more on her ‘individual playing skills’ in order to maintain her World Archer ranking.
Powered by Deepika Kumari’s Gold and bronze medal performances on the concluding date on Monday Indian team finished fourth in the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Medellin at Columbia (United States of America).
Expressing her sentiments for Deepika, Coach Mahto conceded, “Now our Deepika is an ‘Advance level Player’. We have observed that she does mistakes during individual
performances wherein she should try to improve it so that she plays better during future international tournaments. There is nothing to mind on as she has lost in a top eight
individual ranking category. Rather, she must focus only on her target.”
With the latest achievement, Deepika Kumari has switched over to the title of World’s Number 2 Woman Archer from the third rank and is now just 45.1 scores behind Korea’s Ki Bo-Bae.
“I want her to focus more on winning medals at Olympics,” said Coach Purnima.
Adding further Purnima said, “The coming days are ‘wait and watch’ moments for her. As far as better performance is concerned, I want her to perform her with the same enthusiasm.”
Among the noted individual failed performances of Kumari are the 2012 london Olympics where she lost against Amy Oliver of Great Britain in the opening round and 2010 Asian Games held at Guangzhou in China where she missed out on a medal after
losing to Kwon Un Sil of North Korea in the bronze-medal play-off of the women’s individual archery event.
Besides archery, Deepika is aspiring to continue with her higher education these days since she has passed her intermediate this year.
Her parents Auto rickshaw driver Shivnarayan and Nurse Geeta Mahato have always supported her like a backbone for the fulfillment of her every desires.
Similar to Kumari’s parents, Coach Mahto too wants Kumari to pursue her studies. “She must concentrate on her studies along with her archery as academics always give a fruitful output, especially in future,” said Coach Purnima Mahto.