Team Jharkhand had a golden start on the first day of the matches today by bagging 10 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals in the Sub-Junior, Senior and Junior category of the ongoing 7th Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Krida Mahotsav (boys and girls) at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Mega Sports Complex in Khelgaon.
West Singhbhum archer Divar Nath Tiu bagged gold medal in archery 20-metre in the Sub-Junior Boys’ category along with a bronze medal in 30-metre in the same category. Tiu, a son of daily labourers from Diliyamarcha has been introduced to archery for the past one year. Tiu, a first time National winner has also won two silver medals at the state-level tournaments this year. “I am happy to have mastered the sport and look forward to play at the Olympics in the future. I would want to join the army and serve the nation, too. This is a very proud moment for all of us,” said Tiu.
Meanwhile, Sonam Tudu, a girl from Ghatotand, Ramgarh clinched the gold medal for both 20-metre and 30-metre Sub-Junior Girls’ category shared the moment of pride by shedding a couple of joyful tears as she talked to her excited parents on the phone. “My father has been very supportive about the archery practice and takes me to the Tata Feeder Centre everyday and fetched me back, too. I really count myself fortunate enough to have such motivating parents now when I met other girls from smaller villages of many states in our country who even have to fight with their families and villagers in order to pursue their dream. I will not look back now and would soon reach Olympics and become the next golden girl like Deepika Kumari,” said the 14-year-old.
Another West Singhbhum archer Deepak Sawaiwan, a 15-year-old boy bagged the silver medal in the 30-metre Sub-Junior Boys’ category who said that the lack of experience and practice in the 30-metre led him to falter from achieving the first position in the same category. “We practice at the archery centre in Chaibasa where we only shoot at a range of only 20 metres and when we had to aim here from the distance of 30 metre, it proved to be little difficult. But, with a little practice, we can surely beat any state in any category,” said Sawaiwan.
Simultaneously, in the Sub-Junior Girls’ category, 13-year-old Urmila Tudu, from lowadih East Singhbhum bagged the silver medal in both 20-metre and 30-metre rounds. Similarly, another 14-year-old West Singhbhum archer and a daughter of a Railway cabin man secured the bronze medal in both the 20-metre- and 30-metre Sub Junior Girls’ category. “My mother would have been very proud if she would have been alive. We are seven brothers and two sisters and face a lot of difficulties in studying and practicing this sport side by side. But, sportsmanship is all about overcoming all small or big hurdles. I would want to become an army officer in the future of course, only after winning at the Olympics,” said Malti Nag.
The coaches and the managers looked quite excited at the prize distribution ceremony wherein the crowd cheering for Jharkhand did not seem to submerge at all throughout as athlete after athlete kept coming forward to receive the honours. “It is a historic moment for all of us, indeed. We are looking forward to emerge as the state winner of this national event,” said Prakash Ram, Archery Coach for girls.