Sometimes memories, troubling ones, can be the most prevailing reason for making a decision. The Army Sports Institute (ASI) in Pune might have boasted of the best of facilities but a suicide and then a sexual misconduct case could not let the archers continue with the training camp there.
The archers started training in Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Aurangabad earlier this week after some women archers requested the Archery Association of India (AAI) to shift the camp from Pune. The national preparatory camp first came under shock and surprise when young archer Pratima Boro committed suicide in May and last month two archers were found in a ‘compromising position’.
“I have no clue about the facilities at the SAI centre but it was quite disturbing to continue practising at Pune,” said senior archer Dola Banerjee, who would join the camp at Aurangabad sometime next week after recovering from a bad cough and cold. “Pratima’s suicide had left all in a terrible shock. It was difficult to concentrate after that,” added the Arjuna awardee.
With 10 to 12 compound category archers having joined the camp earlier this week, the rest (total 48) are expected to reach by Sunday.
“The facilities here are wonderful,” compound coach Jeevan Jot Singh told The Pioneer from Aurangabad. “The hostel is newly-constructed and the mess is also good. But the best is the weather. We can practise at any time of the day and the wind presence is good to prepare for the approaching World Cup Stage III in Medellin, Colombia, from July 15-21.
“Apart from the main shooting range, even the hockey ground has been converted into our practice area and the hockey players have been asked to train elsewhere. Unlike in Pune, there is even a separate hostel for girls.”
Compound archers Rajat Chouhan and Manjudha Soy had lost by one point to settle for the lone silver for the country in the World Cup Stage II at Antalya in Turkey on June 15. The much-fancied recurve archers crashed out before quarters.
“The compound team was training at SAI’s Shillaroo centre in Shimla. The windy conditions there helped the compound archers perform better in Turkey,” Singh added.The archers would leave for Colombia on July 10.
“The federation officials would visit the Aurangabad centre next week or after the archers return from Colombia,” Virendra Sachdeva, treasurer of AAI, said. “It’s only after they return from World Cup that they would get enough time to practice at the centre and give us a good feedback on the standard of the facilities.”
As Dola said, at least it would be easier for the archers to focus there. let’s see if that converts into medals in Colombia.