Deepika Kumari wins gold at National Games 2023; aims at Indian team return post motherhood

Deepika Kumari, a former world No. 1 and Arjuna awardee, has carried India’s ambitions in recurve archery on the world stage for over a decade since she broke through the ranks in 2010 with a gold medal at the Delhi Commonwealth Games and a bronze at the Guangzhou Asian Games.

A three-time Olympian and two-time world championships medal winner, Deepika Kumari, who is married to fellow Indian archer Atanu Das, recently took a long leave of absence from archery to give birth to a girl child, Vedika, in December 2022.

The 29-year-old Deepika, who represents Jharkhand, showed that the long hiatus hasn’t diminished her hunger for success as she clinched the recurve women’s individual gold at the National Games 2023 in Goa, beating Haryana’s Sangeeta 6-2.

She also won the mixed team gold with Mirnal Chauhan and teamed up with Dipti Kumari and Komalika Bari to bag the women’s team silver after losing the final to Haryana in a shoot-out.

“Honestly, the gold wasn't a priority but my performance was,” Deepika Kumari said. “My mindset was not about winning or losing. But it was about me giving my best performance. 

“I wanted to concentrate on my shots and calm other thoughts that I had in my mind,” she explained. “This is something that will help me mentally in future also.”

Deepika last won an international medal at the Guatemala City Archery World Cup stage in 2021. But life since then has changed for her after becoming a mother. 

“This new life is not an easy change for me, it's a 360-degree change,” Deepika said. “I talk with people around me so that I can manage my frustration and remain calm about everything because I have accepted the fact that this is my life now and I have to manage it all by balancing both worlds.”

Deepika’s balancing act starts with dividing her time between taking care of her daughter without dropping the intensity of her training with her sights set on making a comeback in the Indian team.

“I have been working on rebuilding my strength, confidence and perfecting my technique so I can return to the Indian archery team at the earliest. My day starts earlier now at 5:00 AM or sometimes even 4:00 AM. I like to spend some time with my daughter in the morning before I leave for practice at 7:30 AM,” Deepika revealed.

“I return home by noon, then rest a little and leave again for practice and workout at 3:30 PM. I have a goal of shooting at least 300-350 arrows daily to get back to my best,” she added.

To accelerate her return to the Indian setup, Deepika has also incorporated mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation in her routine, which helps her maintain focus. She is also gradually upping the ante in her physical workout with running, bodyweight and lightweight exercises. 

Deepika came into the National Games seeking a competitive platform to fix some problems with her game which she had observed at previous tournaments and to shake off the rust acquired from her prolonged absence.

While she is still one of the top stars in Indian archery and ranked No. 2 in the world, Deepika is mindful of the challenge posed to her by the upcoming generation of young archers.

“Every archer is well-equipped in the national circuit these days and they all have their own strengths,” she said. “The competitors these days are young and hungry to succeed, so we have to work extra hard as seniors to keep our place in the national team. 

“I try to keep my calm and practice more than I used to before to be able to match their energy while also using the knowledge and experience that I have gained over the years to stay at the top,” Deepika concluded.