How Atanu Das got to the forefront of Indian men's archery  

Indian archer Atanu Das profiled in Olympic Channel series 'Anatomy Of'. He underwent multiple tests to find out the science behind an elite archer's sporting ability.

2 minBy Olympic Channel
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One of India's top archers, Atanu Das has won multiple Archery World Cup tournaments and is a World Championships team silver medallist.

The right-handed 28-year-old was part of the Indian team that won silver in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, last year – the first Indian men to make a Worlds final in 14 years.

Now, Das is the latest elite athlete to feature in the Olympic Channel original series Anatomy Of, in which the best sportspeople from around the world are tested in a laboratory setting to explain the science behind what makes them so good at their sport.

In the episode Anatomy of an Archer, Das is put through a series of tests, as he finds out his vertical jump height, VO2 max, and exactly how much lean muscle he is carrying in each of his arms.

Competition record

But who is Atanu Das?

The archer began his sport in 2006, aged 14. Two years later, he made his international debut for India, eventually qualifying for and taking part in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games at Singapore 2010.

He placed fifth in the ranking round before being eliminated in the first round of the finals in Singapore. A World Youth Championships silver medal followed in 2011.

Das won his first World Cup medal in 2013 when, partnering Deepika Kumari, he finished third in the mixed event in Colombia, a feat they repeated the following year. They have also won an Asian Championship bronze together.

Additionally, team World Cup silvers in Medellin and Wroclaw in 2014 propelled Das to the forefront of Indian men's archery.

His partnership with Kumari goes beyond the archery range. The pair got engaged in December 2018, and plan to get married soon.

Olympic and World Championship outings

The Kolkata native made his senior Olympic debut at Rio 2016, where he reached the round of 16 before losing in a high-pressure fifth-set decider.

"I was shooting fine, but my mental strength wasn't up to the mark," he told ESPN India.

It seems like Das learned from disappointment in Rio.

His success with his teammates in 's-Hertogenbosch last year means India will have three men at Tokyo 2020 when competition gets under way in the Japanese capital in 2021.

It will be a boost for his country, which only had one male representative – Das himself – in Rio.

Atanu DAS

India
Archery
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