Archers eye three medals in Asian Games

Kolkata: Indian archers were hoping to strike three medals in the Asian Games, but were getting a bit tired by the plethora of felicitations after their success at the Commonwealth Games.

While Rahul Banerjee, who got an individual gold and team bronze in Delhi 2010, told reporters that archers were aiming at three medals at Guangzhou event, which would be tough in the presence of world champions Korea. Cold and windy weather condition will also be a challenge for the Indians, the trio of Dola Banerjee, Rahul and Deepika Kumari had a common opinion. They feel that they were getting distracted by the felicitation programmes and promotional events after their Delhi success. Deepika, who made a golden double in Delhi, was felicitated by an NGO at the Sports Authority of India Eastern Centre today. “Every day I’m getting felicitated by various organisations, which is hindering my regular practice and routine. The Asiad will be really tough and I’m practicing hard,” Deepika said. The brother-sister duo of Dola and Rahul were felicitated yesterday by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the third after the Games. “There is hardly any time left for the Asian Games. We have to attend the felicitation programmes in the middle of practice,” double Olympian Dola, who got a team gold and individual bronze in Delhi, told reporters. Rahul said with the competition starting on November 19 and the archers leaving for Guangzhou on November 13, they would get a few days there to acclimatise. The Indian archers bagged three gold, one silver and four bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games in recurve and compound sections. However, the compound section will not feature in the Asian Games. India will field the same Commonwealth Games squad in Guangzhou with Mangal Singh Champia and Rimil Biruly being additions as the fourth members. PTI