Kolkata, Oct 12: India’s most decorated compound archer Abhishek Verma is determined to fight his way back into the national team after missing the country’s historic Olympic qualification at the Asian Games and is targeting not just the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics but also the 2030 Commonwealth Games on home soil.
India became the first country to secure an Olympic quota in compound archery at the recently-concluded Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where the discipline will make its Olympic debut in the mixed team event. Sahil Jadhav and Chikitha Taniparthi clinched the mixed team gold to secure the berth, while India also won the men’s and women’s team titles.
The 37-year-old, who missed out on selection for what would have been his fourth consecutive Asian Games, admitted that being away from action was disappointing but took solace in the performances of youngsters he has mentored. “Of course, I felt bad about missing the Asian Games,” Verma told PTI in an interview from Hyderabad, where he is competing for Prithviraj Yodhas in the Archery Premier League. “But my students and juniors were there, and they performed the way I would have wanted them to. India has established itself as a strong force in compound archery, and they proved that once again.” Olympic Quota places belong to the country and not to the athletes who secure it and a trial closer to the Games determines the final entries. With India’s qualification secured, he believes the country can now focus entirely on preparing for Los Angeles, with around 18 months to fine-tune combinations and raise performance further.
“The pressure of qualifying is off our backs now. We can focus fully on the Olympics without that distraction. We have around a year and a half to prepare, and we have to make the most of it,” he said. (PTI)