Kolkata: Country's archers on the run up to
2010 Commonwealth Games are struggling with poor facilities at
Sports Authority of India (SAI) Eastern Centre here - venue of
the preparatory camps, alleged national coach Limba Ram.
Olympian Limba, who was appointed as the chief archery
coach earlier this year, claimed the archers were suffering
due to irregular supply of equipments, which may hamper the
medal prospect in the prestigious event.
"An archer needs a quota of about two-to-three dozens of
arrows and one bow every year, but here we are struggling to
get even a dozen arrows," Limba said.
"Everyday, I have to listen to complaints from archers
about the scanty supply of equipments. It's very difficult
to convince the young archers but the SAI is not cooperating
and dilly-dallying on this matter," Limba said.
"I have made many requests to the SAI but they are not
taking up the issue seriously," he added.
Limba also pointed out that they even did not have a
permanent shadow for practice and a makeshift arrangement has
been done for national camp that will go on till the Games.
"It's been more than seven months that we have been
asking for a shadow but the SAI is not paying any heed. Also,
there is one volleyball camp running adjacent to our practice
area. It is a risky business as one misfire by an archer will
directly hit at the volleyball players," said Limba.
SAI (Eastern Centre) Director S Harmilapi, however,
refuted the allegations and said the archers were indulging in
nothing but mud-slinging as their performance had dipped in
recent time.
"These sort of things happen when you fail to perform. We
are ensuring them with the best possible facilities. About the
equipment, I am supplying them with what I have got. But the
supply comes from the head office," Harmilapi said.
"On the construction of the shadow, I have written to the
CPWD, who are looking after it. I cannot myself construct the
structure," he added.
Men recurve archers recently failed to bring any laurel
from the Asian Grand Prix event, while Indian ace Jayanta
Talukdar finished fourth in the World Cup finals and returned
empty handed last month.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, October 22, 2009, 18:22