Will revise training plans to achieve bigger goals and peak for the LA Olympic Games

Navneet Singh

India’s first world champion in compound archery, Aditi Swami, was upbeat on hearing about the inclusion of compound archery as a medal event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday included the compound mixed team event to archery’s programme for the LA Games. The compound mixed team competition will be added to five recurve events – men’s and women’s individual, men’s and women’s team, and mixed team – at the Olympics. 

Archery has featured in the Olympic Games programme for a long time, but compound archery will make its debut at the Los Angeles Olympics. The news has come as a boost for compound archers across the world. Indian archers too are feeling elated as they have produced some outstanding results in compound archery over the years.

“It’s like a dream come true for all archers particularly in the country as we generally dominate in compound events at continental and as well as global level,” the 18-years old Arjuna Awardee from Satara said.

 “IOC’s decision will further give a fillip to compound archery.”

At the 2023 world archery championships in Berlin, India’s compound team spectacularly won three gold medals and one bronze. Aditi Swamy and Ojas Pravin Deotale are reigning world champions in women’s and men’s individual competitions. The women’s team of Aditi, Jyothi Surekha Vennam — who also won an individual bronze — and Praneet Kaur claimed the team championship gold.

More success came at the Asian Games as compound archers swept all the five gold medals on offer. Ojas and Jyothi won the women’s and men’s individual titles, and combined to win gold in mixed team event. India also won titles in men’s and women’s team events. One of India’s finest compound archers, Abhishek Verma bagged silver in the men’s individual section, while Aditi clinched a bronze.

 The Maharashtra’s teenager said, inclusion of archery (compound) will entirely change her perspective towards her training in the coming days as she will have bigger goals to achieve.

“Earlier Asian Games were like Olympics for compound archers. The emphasis on training was geared accordingly as focus was limited to winning medals at the continental level.” “Having the Olympics as a goal, the entire focus will shift to think big.”

The 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games individual bronze medalist said she will have to be more consistent as competition is highly competitive in India. “From now onwards my focus will be scoring more inner 10s,” she asserted. The teenager from Satara who practices in a local academy in her hometown, has the highest world ranking of seven after her stupendous performance at the2023 World Championship. Her personal best score was 711. In the buildup to Los Angeles, the 18-years old has no major plans to add something special to her diet or training at the moment.

“The fundamental part of my training is hard work and recovery. I like a nutritious diet,” Aditi explained.

Aditi generally practices for eight hours a day and takes a week off to recover. Because of her commitment to training and competition, she has shifted to the arts stream from science. “I was a science student till class 12th, but had to change my subjects in undergraduate course because I was unable to cope up with science subjects as I was often travelling for competition,” the BA first year student said.

Aditi said she will have to revise her training schedule to peak for the Olympic Games selection trials and stay focused for the quadrennial mega competition.

“It will be challenging to top the chart in the country as everyone will be focusing on the LA Games.”