Atanu Das: Loves tattoos, hip-hop dancer and a gaming freak!
Olympics.com looks at the many interests of ace Indian archer Atanu Das who is making his second appearance at the Olympics.
Ace Indian archer Atanu Das grew up in an environment where most children were limited to playing cricket or football. But the boy from Baranagar, a city in West Bengal, looked beyond the most popular sports in the country.
He would occasionally join his group of friends to play cricket or football but also found solace in taking an occasional plunge in the Ganges. Swimming across the river or small ponds was his first love before he took to archery at the age of 15.
And even though he continued to excel in archery and grew to be one of the finest in the country, the 29-year-old has another side to himself. He is a hip-hop dancer but never took formal lessons in it as his focus was solely on archery.
"It's now more of a hobby, something I do to have fun,” Das told the New Indian Express.
However, hip-hop dancing still remains on his go-to list, when he wants to unwind himself after an intense competition or day filled with pressure.
Not only that, the 2021 World Cup gold medallist, also loves listening to music and is a gaming freak! During his tour games, away from home, he loves to play a game of FIFA or action-filled games like Call of Duty on his laptop.
But for Das, who made his Olympics debut at Rio 2016, a gold medal at the marquee event remains his ultimate goal. So much so, that he also got himself a tattoo off the Olympic rings -- commonly seen among Olympians -- to keep him focused on his goal.
“So whenever I get distracted, I have this tattoo right here, to remind me of my real goals,” Das told the Deccan Chronicle.
It is, however, not the only tattoo on his body. There is also a lion tattoo on his forearm which depicts his 'aggression' as he wanted to embody his aggression and instincts.
“But obviously in archery, you can't show it. A lot of things are going on in your mind at the time — the expectations, and pressure of the big stage. The one who manages all that energy best, wins on the day,” he told the New Indian Express.
Das, who was knocked out in the Round of 16 of his maiden Olympic appearance, would want to combine his aggression and mental strength to produce a podium finish at Tokyo 2020.
When will Atanu Das be in action at Tokyo 2020 next?
Das began his campaign at Tokyo 2020 with the ranking round in the men's individual recurve event, where he finished, on the 35th spot.
He will take on Chinese Taipei's Deng Yu-cheng in the Round of 32 on July 29.
Das was also part of the Indian men's team which reached the quarter-finals.