It’s a “now-or-never situation for me”, says veteran Indian archer Tarundeep Rai as he seeks to win a maiden Olympic medal in his fourth appearance at the Games while also serving as the team’s unofficial mentor in Paris. The 40-year-old Rai has won medals in every championships at the global and continental level but not the Olympics. He has two silver at the World Championships (2005, 2019), nine World Cup medals, including three gold, a silver and a bronze in Asian Games, two silver and a bronze in Asian Championships.

“It’s emotional every day. It’s the fourth time. It’s a now-or-never situation for me, and that’s what I tell my teammates too. Maybe someone playing his first or second Olympics should think like it’s now or never. You have to put in an effort as if it’s going to be your last,” Rai told PTI in an interview.

The veteran archer from Sikkim was part of the Indian teams at the 2004 Athens, 2012 London and 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He exited in the first round in the individual event in Athens, and in the second round in both 2012 and 2021 editions.

In Tokyo, the men’s team, which had Tarundeep Rai in it its ranks, reached the quarterfinals.

“Olympics is a dream for everyone, and I’m no different. You need an extreme level of preparation for this, and you have to put in a lot of hard work to qualify and win a medal. The colour of your sweat sometimes turns red,” Rai said ahead of the Paris Games.

“This Olympics, I’m playing with a three-year gap. Positive sign. Many changes. Tokyo, whatever I lacked, the objective is to rectify. Will do my best,” said Rai who hails from Namchi in Sikkim.

More or less regular at the Olympics since debuting back in 1988, the Indian archers will be aiming to fetch their maiden medal as they began the country’s campaign here on Thursday with the qualification rounds.

“There are always expectations. We had the potential to win, but for small margins, we have returned empty-handed,” Rai rued.

“We have kept that in control (this time). Coaches, management, players’ mentality, we have kept that in check. Everyone is in their best form.” For the first time since London 2012, India will have a full six-member squad after both the men’s and women’s teams qualified on the basis of rankings. This means they will compete in all the five events.

Rai failed to make it to the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and said it was a wake-up call for him.

“Yes, the Asian Games was a realization period and gave me a lot of positive vibes. If that did not happen, maybe I would not have made it to my fourth Olympics and reached here.

“That shock made me aware of my weaknesses and what I needed to work on. I took that positively and worked on it.” Rai said he has set up an academy in Sikkim to pass on his knowledge to the future generation.

“Coaching or not, you have to give something back to the sport. This is one thing we have lacked. Transfer of technique, transfer of experience. Senior archers leaving should come back. This gap we have to fill up.

“I don’t want my 28 years of experience to go waste, sitting idle at home. The AAI should also think about it.

“An experienced person in the coaching field can give a youngster that experience. It’s about giving back. We have to fill that gap. I want to contribute to Indian archery in the future.”

India’s ace archer Deepika Kumari is confident of the team’s chances in the Paris Olympics. She said clear communication in tough situations will benefit them in the quadrennial event. Indian archers will compete in all five medal events in Paris: men’s and women’s teams, individual, and mixed categories. The women’s team boasts exceptional talent including the 2022 Asian Games bronze medallists Ankita Bhakat and Bhajan Kaur, apart from Deepika. “The strength of any team lies in its communication and combination. It’s essential to support each other in various situations. We talk a lot and discuss how to handle different scenarios. Clear communication, especially in tough situations, is a huge strength for us. We are confident about our chances at the Olympics,” Deepika said on JioCinema’s ‘The Dreamers’.

Bhakat, who is fulfilling a lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics, expressed her confidence in the team’s progress.

“Since I started archery, I have always dreamt of playing in the Olympics. Now, that dream is coming true. In past World Cups, we rarely played podium matches, but this time it’s different. We learned from our early setbacks and improved significantly. Our performance has been consistently better in each competition, and I believe we will perform well at the Olympics,” Bhakat stated.

She emphasised the importance of self-belief, adding, “I know what level of performance I’m capable of. When I give my 100%, the medal will surely follow.”

Bhajan echoed Bhakat’s sentiments, stressing on the importance of continuous improvement and giving their best effort. “My performance at the second World Cup was much better than the first one, so I started feeling victorious about my progress since the first World Cup,” said Kaur.

“Whenever we go for a tournament, we focus on giving our best, no matter the magnitude of the tournament. Our aim is to leave no stones unturned for the Olympics as well and we are confident that we will return from Paris with a medal.”

Bhakat also pointed out the invaluable experience of having a veteran like Deepika Kumari in the team. “It’s a great advantage that Deepika is going to the Olympics for the fourth time. She understands the challenges we might face in Paris,” she explained.

Bhajan added, “Deepika’s experience, along with Ankita’s, is our biggest strength. They help us understand and rectify any issues in our game. Our ability to communicate and support each other is crucial.”

Deepika, one of India’s most decorated archers, has been a beacon of excellence in the sport. The former World No.1 archer has won medals in World Cups, Asian Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships, and the Asian Games.

Livid at being denied accreditation for the Paris Games, India’s Korean archery coach Baek Woong Ki on Saturday said he would not continue after his contract expires on August 30, and lashed out at the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for “poor and hasty administration”. Woong Ki, who reached the French capital with the Indian team after overseeing its preparation in Marseille, said he “was removed from the Olympic coaching role at a critical time” and will now be flying back to India with his return ticket already booked.

“I am a Korean coach who signed a contract to prepare (the Indian archers) for the Paris Olympics. But at a critical time, I was removed from the Olympic coaching role and my flight schedule told me to return home,” the renowned coach said.

He has been staying in a Paris hotel and was awaiting his Games accreditation.

“I have a contract until August 30th and I signed it for the purpose of the Olympics. I plan to arrive at Sonipat and calmly prepare for the formalities of entering Korea,” he added, making it clear that he will not renew his contract.

Woong Ki, who guided archery heavyweights South Korea to two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, questioned the logic behind investing on him if he is not to be accommodated with the Indian team.

“I have been training them (Indian archers) for two years to win a medal at the Paris Olympics. However, foreign coaches were excluded due to the IOA’s poor and hasty administration.

“Then I don’t know why they invested money to appoint a Korean coach. More importantly, it’s hitting a major notch just days before the Olympics. I can’t stay near the Olympic practice or competition venues,” said Woong Ki.

The Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11, and India will be represented by six archers.

The IOA has cleared several personal coaches and support staff in disciplines such as wrestling, table tennis and badminton.

Good opportunity for India to win a medal

Woong Ki said his presence would have surely boosted India’s prospects of winning a medal in archery in Paris and termed the Koreans as the strongest opponents.

“I can’t guarantee it. Korean archers are strong in competition. If Korea and India play in the final, there is a 90% chance they will lose, but if I enter the coach’s box, the Korean archers will feel more tension and pressure because of me.

“Therefore, India’s chances of winning increase.” Woong Ki, who has been in charge of the archery team for more than a year, is contracted by the Archery Association of India (AAI) and funded by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

During his stint in India, he has played a key role in shaping the team.

“While preparing for the Olympics, I instilled in my archers the practice of avoiding and dealing with situations that may arise during competition. I have experience in the Olympics, having won four gold medals and one silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics.” Considering the pressure associated with the Olympics, the coach’s job becomes all the more important, the 62-year-old said.

“No matter how well trained the archers are, the psychological pressure at the Olympics is too great. Therefore, the coach must create conditions in the field where the archers can shoot stably.

“A coach who only calls out scores will miss something important at a critical time. This is a very important time.

“And for the first time in 12 years, India has the opportunity to have three men’s and three women’s teams participating at the same time, which is a good opportunity to win a medal. I will pray for Indian archers to win a medal,” Woong Ki signed off.

The South Korean, who oversaw his country’s double gold medal-winning show in women’s individual and team sections at London Olympics, began his India stint with the World Cup Stage 1 in Antalya, Turkey last April. 

Deepika Kumari is torn between two worlds. One where the doting mother longs to be with her 19-month-old daughter Vedika, and another where the ace Indian archer craves for an elusive Olympic medal. But the resilience she showed in fusing those two different spaces in her life has taken Deepika to the Paris Games, the fourth showpiece in her career. Deepika’s determination to achieve glory in the ultimate sporting event in the world was evident when she stayed away from her daughter for two months to finetune her preparation.

“It’s difficult to explain the pain of being away from my daughter. But it’s also about achieving what we have worked for over so many years,” Deepika told PTI in an exclusive interaction.

Finally, Atanu Das, her husband and himself an international archer, took Vedika to Army Sports Institute in Pune just before Deepika departed to Paris.

It was an achingly emotional moment for Deepika.

“I miss her a lot, but that’s how it is. Thankfully, she has been really supportive and has adapted well with my in-laws and Atanu,” added Deepika.

But Deepika’s turmoil had started immediately after giving birth to her daughter in December 2022.

She developed muscle stiffness and lifting the 19-kg bow was next to impossible.

“We had planned for the delivery in such a way that we would be able to compete in Paris. But it was like starting from zero after the delivery.

“Forget about shooting or lifting the bow, she was not able to do even simple daily chores,” Atanu recalled.

“Gradually, she started jogging and put in a lot of hard work at the gym to get going again.” Deepika even thought that her career has come to a close.

“Career lagta hai khatam ho gaya, kya main aur shooting nahin kar paoongi? (It seems my career is over…Won’t I be able to shoot again?” she would ask Das.

But then came the flicker of hope.

Deepika dominated the National Games in Goa last year, returning with two gold and one silver.

It led her to the big decision of training under the legendary Korean coach Kim Hyung-Tak, the first full time coach under whom the archery heavyweights made their debut at Los Angeles in 1984.

“It was not just about the skill aspect but his guidance also plays a part in bringing clarity to shooting. It really set me off,” said Deepika, who won a silver at the Shanghai World Cup, her first podium finish in two years.

Subsequently, the 30-year-old excelled in the three-month long selection trials, even though her husband-cum-mentor Atanu failed to make the cut.

Lim factor

Despite her phenomenal feats in other world meets, Deepika is yet to bag that coveted medal with five rings on it.

She came close to it in Tokyo but lost to eventual gold winner An San in the quarterfinals.

But this time the Indian will have a 21-year-old South Korean Lim Si-hyeon to tame in Paris.

Lim has defeated Deepika twice this year – at Shanghai and then at the Yecheon World Cup.

Deepika is not worried. “I cannot change the past. I’m fully prepared and happy with the way I’m shooting. We will see what happens on the match day if at all we have a match-up,” she added.

Happy Paris memories, but no pressure

Paris has been a happy-hunting ground for Deepika where she won a hattrick of gold medals in the 2021 World Cup – individual, team and mixed team along with Atanu.

She had also clinched a World Cup Final silver in 2013 and a World Cup silver last year in the French capital.

But she wanted to treat the Olympics as any other top-level competition.

“I don’t understand why there is so much hype surrounding the Olympics in our country. Everyone looks up to archery once the Olympics nears and it creates unnecessary pressure.

“We have to take it like any other competition. The pressure (on the Indians) is more mental,” she said.

Deepika wanted to remain under the radar.

“I don’t want any attention. We have done well consistently to be able to make it here.

We just have to get a good rank in the qualification to get a favourable draw.”

Deepika-Dhiraj combination

The individual rankings determine the mixed team and on current form, Deepika and Dhiraj Bommadevara could be shooting together.

Dhiraj has been in phenomenal form winning 10 international medals in the last 12 months including a team gold beating Korea.

He also won an individual bronze at Antalya World Cup stunning Tokyo silver medallist Mauro Nespoli.

“He is young and uber cool and an individual medal prospect. He doesn’t falter in big moments,” said India’s high-performance director Sanjeeva Singh.

So, will Dhiraj take some pressure off Deepika? “If they top the qualifiers, they will be India’s best recurve mixed team combination,” he said.

Deepika remembers the controversy in Tokyo when she had to unwillingly partner Pravin Jadhav in the mixed team event as the latter had qualified ahead of Atanu.

The national federation could have changed the combination but they went by the rule and the team exited in the last eight.

“I don’t want to talk about what happened. Dhiraj has been shooting well and we hope for the best,” Deepika added.

Will she miss the presence of Atanu in Paris? “He has a greater responsibility — to take care of Vedika,” she smiled clutching an empty bag, a gift from her husband.

“I’ve told her she must win the medal and bring it back in this bag,” Das said.

Perhaps, she can cram in it an Olympic medal and some baby clothes and toys.

Archery

Compound Women’s Individual Bronze Medal Match: Aditi Swami- 6:10 am

Compound Women’s Individual Gold Medal match- Jyothi Surekha Vennam-6:30 am

Compound Men’s Individual Gold Medal match- Abhishek Verma vs Ojas Deotale- 7:10 am

Badminton

Men’s doubles final- Satwik/Chirag Vs Kim Won-ho/Choi Solgyu (KOR)- 11:30AM

Canoe Slalom

Men’s Kayak semifinal- Shubham Kewat, Hitesh Kewat- 6:55 am

(Final subject to qualification)

Chess

Vidit Gujarathi, Gukesh D., Arjun Erigais, R. Praggnanandhaa – Men’s team round 9(Final)- 12:30pm

Koneru Humpy, Vantika Agrawal, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Savitha Sri Baskar – Women’s team round 9(Final)- 12:30pm

Cricket

Men’s team vs Afghanistan – Men’s Cricket Final- 11:30am

Hockey

Women’s team vs Japan – hockey – bronze medal match- 1:30 PM

Ju-Jitsu

Uma Maheshwar – M – 85kg Round of 32 – 06:30 IST onwards

Kiran Kumari- W – 63kg Round of 16 – 06:30 IST onwards

Amarjeet Singh – M – 85kg Round of 32 – 06:30 IST onwards

(other rounds subject to qualification)

Kabaddi

Women’s team vs Chinese Taipei – women’s finals – 07:00 IST

Men’s team vs IR Iran – men’s final – 12:30 IST

Roller Skating

Sai Samhitha – W Ladies Artistic Single Free Skating Long Program Final – 8:30 IST

Soft Tennis

Raga Sri Manogarbabu Kulandaivelu – Women’s Singles Quarterfinal – 7:30 am IST

Aniket Patel – Men’s Singles Quarterfinal – 7:30 am IST

Sport Climbing

Saniya Farooque and Shivani Charak – W Individual Boulder Semifinal – 06:30 IST

Saniya Farooque and Shivani Charak – W Individual Lead Semifinal – 10:50 IST

(Final subject to qualification)

Volleyball

India vs Hong Kong, China – women’s volleyball 9th to 10th classification match – 08:00 IST

Wrestling

Yash – Men’s Freestyle 74Kg 1/8 Final(pending qualification) – 07:30 IST onwards

Deepak Punia – Men’s Freestyle 86Kg Qualification Round(pending qualification) – 07:30 IST onwards

Vicky- Men’s Freestyle 97Kg 1/8 Final(pending qualification) – 07:30 IST onwards

Sumit- Men’s Freestyle 125Kg 1/8 Final(pending qualification) – 07:30 IST onwards