Archers sweat it out to compete in the Commonwealth Games

JAMSHEDPUR - Indian archers are undergoing extensive training at the Tata Archery Centre in Jamshedpur to compete in the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in the national capital.

The prospective champion archers are training for nearly ten hours a day under the watchful eyes of their coach, Dharmendra Tiwari.

The coach has been meticulously conducting the practice sessions by recording the trainees’ day-to-day performance.

“The preparations are going very well. Countries like England, Canada and Korea will give a tough competition to us and in the compound section South Africa, Canada and England will give a tough competition to us. I think in the compound section we will have to face stiffer competition,” Tiwari said.

The archers follow a rigid daily regime, which starts with a four-hour early morning training at 8:30 followed by an afternoon practice. The practice continues in the evening as well, when the players gather around at 6 p.m.

“We are practicing very hard to reach the top six in the Commonwealth Games. I think I will be able to perform well, as I have been practicing continuously. Earlier, there were some loop holes, but now, I am ready to compete,” said B Parineeta, an Olympian.

Apart from physical training, the archers also go through a session of counseling and motivation, which not only boosts their confidence, but also maintains their mental stability. (ANI)