NEW DELHI: There were three gold medals to show but overall India's display was not something to gloat about. Well, that is the mood in the Indian camp as they train their bows for the forthcoming Asian Games next month.
"We should have won at least four gold medals. It's a bit disappointing," remarked Rahul Banerjee, who won the individual recurve gold, encapsulating the mood, a day after the archery events concluded at the Yamuna Sports Complex.
The men's failure to justify the top billing in team recurve championship besides Jayanta Talukdar and Dola Banerjee faltering ahead of the individual finals meant that England and Australia had a field day.
English archers, in fact, emerged the undisputed rulers in compound category, winning all four gold on offer. It was also a historic moment for wheelchair-user Danielle Brown, who became the first Paralympian to compete in an able-bodied event at the CWG and claimed glory as part of England's compound team.
Yet, Deepika Kumari provided the golden glow. The way this 17-year-old girl from Ranchi blew away England's five-time Olympian Alison Williamson was fairytale stuff. Deepika will need to carry the momentum to the Asian Games where the challenge is more pronounced with the presence of traditional powerhouses like South Korea and China.
But she is confident of breaking India's wait for a medal at the Asian Games and Olympics. "Her hunger for success is an education for everybody who wants to make archery as a sporting career," said Dola, guardian and inspiration for the teenager.
With accolades and financial windfall coming in thick and fast (Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for her), she looks poised for more glory.
The focus, thus, at the national camp which gets under way at the SAI Eastern Centre from Tuesday, should be on reshuffling the men's team composition. Tarundeep Rai's lacklustre form here (he failed to make the individual recurve quarters) is a worry which demands immediate remedy. Perhaps, it is time Mangal Champia was recalled for the Asian Games.
Deepika and others, however, will have little time to celebrate their CWG show since 'Destination Guangzhou' is already on the horizon.
How the Indians fared (8 medals)
Gold (3): Deepika Kumari (women's Recurve individual), Rahul Banerjee (men's Recurve individual), Dola Banerjee, Deepika & Bombayala Devi (women's team Recurve)
Silver (1): Men's team Compound (Ritul, Jignas and Srither)
Bronze (4): Dola (individual Recurve), Jayanta (individual Recurve), Men's team Recurve and Women's team Compound
TOI
"We should have won at least four gold medals. It's a bit disappointing," remarked Rahul Banerjee, who won the individual recurve gold, encapsulating the mood, a day after the archery events concluded at the Yamuna Sports Complex.
The men's failure to justify the top billing in team recurve championship besides Jayanta Talukdar and Dola Banerjee faltering ahead of the individual finals meant that England and Australia had a field day.
English archers, in fact, emerged the undisputed rulers in compound category, winning all four gold on offer. It was also a historic moment for wheelchair-user Danielle Brown, who became the first Paralympian to compete in an able-bodied event at the CWG and claimed glory as part of England's compound team.
Yet, Deepika Kumari provided the golden glow. The way this 17-year-old girl from Ranchi blew away England's five-time Olympian Alison Williamson was fairytale stuff. Deepika will need to carry the momentum to the Asian Games where the challenge is more pronounced with the presence of traditional powerhouses like South Korea and China.
But she is confident of breaking India's wait for a medal at the Asian Games and Olympics. "Her hunger for success is an education for everybody who wants to make archery as a sporting career," said Dola, guardian and inspiration for the teenager.
With accolades and financial windfall coming in thick and fast (Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for her), she looks poised for more glory.
The focus, thus, at the national camp which gets under way at the SAI Eastern Centre from Tuesday, should be on reshuffling the men's team composition. Tarundeep Rai's lacklustre form here (he failed to make the individual recurve quarters) is a worry which demands immediate remedy. Perhaps, it is time Mangal Champia was recalled for the Asian Games.
Deepika and others, however, will have little time to celebrate their CWG show since 'Destination Guangzhou' is already on the horizon.
How the Indians fared (8 medals)
Gold (3): Deepika Kumari (women's Recurve individual), Rahul Banerjee (men's Recurve individual), Dola Banerjee, Deepika & Bombayala Devi (women's team Recurve)
Silver (1): Men's team Compound (Ritul, Jignas and Srither)
Bronze (4): Dola (individual Recurve), Jayanta (individual Recurve), Men's team Recurve and Women's team Compound
TOI
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