Indian archery heads into another major event clouded by poor planning, lack of direction and the absence of a full-time foreign coach, an alarming situation in an Asian Games year, as a strong field assembles for World Cup Stage 2 beginning here on Tuesday.

With the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan scheduled from September 19 to October 4 approaching fast, India’s build-up looks far from convincing.

The season began with a disappointing outing at the World Cup Stage 1 in Mexico, where the only saving grace was a gold medal from the women’s compound team. That result did little to hide deeper concerns.

Despite competing in a depleted field, with powerhouse South Korea skipping the event, India’s recurve archers failed to step up. It turned into a reality check as none of the leading names, including former Olympians Tarundeep Rai, Atanu Das, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Deepika Kumari and Ankita Bhakat could reach the medal rounds.

Das and Dhiraj managed pre-quarterfinal finishes before bowing out. The men’s recurve team, seeded 10th, suffered an opening-round exit after losing to Spain in straight sets. The women’s team cleared the first hurdle but went down to Turkey in the quarterfinals. In the individual section, Deepika, India’s most decorated archer, exited in the second round.

Ankita, Simranjeet Kaur and Kumkum Mohod progressed one round further before losing in the third round. The mixed team pairing of Dhiraj and Kumkum also endured a forgettable outing, crashing out in the opening round to Brazil.

Despite such an underwhelming performance, the national federation has retained the same squad for the first two World Cup stages, with selection trials for the Asian Games and the next World Cup legs slated in Sonipat from May 15. As a result, India will once again rely on an ageing Tarundeep, an out-of-form Dhiraj, inconsistent Atanu and struggling veterans like Deepika and Ankita in Shanghai, this time against a much stronger field.

It will be a miracle of sorts if the Indian recurve side returns with a medal. South Korea returns with a full-strength men’s team featuring five Olympic gold medal winners in Kim Woojin, Lee Woo Seok, Seo Mingi and Kim Je Deok, a line-up capable of dominating any competition.

The women’s team, though rejigged, still has reigning world champion and world No. 1 Kang Chaeyoung alongside Lee Yunji, Oh Yejin and Jang Minhee. With the Asian Games on the horizon and in the close proximity of Shanghai, several Asian nations including Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia have also sent teams to gain valuable exposure. A total of 320 archers will compete at the Yuanshen Sports Centre, 48 more than last year.

No coach, no clarity

India’s biggest concern, however, remains off the field. With just over four months left for the Asian Games, the country still does not have a proper head coach. The team is being managed by personal coaches, with the archer topping the trials effectively deciding support staff, a system that reflects a lack of structure and long-term planning.

Talks with noted compound coach Sergio Pagni, who guided India to a historic five-gold haul at the last Asian Games, and renowned recurve coach Kisik Lee, who helped the USA win three Olympic medals between 2012 and 2016, have not resulted in full-time appointments due to reported disagreements over remuneration.

There is talk of a part-time arrangement but there is still no clarity, adding to the sense of drift in a crucial year. Given the current scenario, a podium finish from the recurve section would be a big surprise. In such a scenario, once again India’s medal hopes will rest on the compound archers.

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