Top coach Kim Hyung Tak says technical competence can help India win elusive archery medal at Olympics
Dhiraj Bommadevara has secured India’s only quota in archery for the Paris 2024 Olympics so far.
Renowned Korean archery coach Kim Hyung Tak feels that consistency in training and preparation will help India secure their first-ever Olympic medal in archery at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“The Indian recurve team is undergoing very strong technical training. There is also constant communication between the archers and the coaches. This will definitely help them to get good results in the Olympics,” Kim Hyung Tak told SAI Media in an interview.
“If they are able to maintain this consistency in training and preparation, I think it is very much possible to get a medal in Paris,” the coach added.
Dhiraj Bommadevara is the only Indian to have secured a Paris 2024 Olympics quota in archery so far. The 22-year-old obtained the quota at the Asian Continental Qualifier Tournament in Bangkok last year.
Indian recurve archers are also seeking a team quota in the final qualification tournament which will be held between June 14 and 17 in Antalya, Turkiye.
Last month, the Indian men’s recurve team of Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav beat the reigning Olympic champions Republic of Korea in the final of the Archery World Cup Stage in Shanghai. It was India’s first World Cup gold in the men’s recurve team after 14 years.
“The average level of the team has gotten a notch higher because of the talented men’s and women’s recurve teams here. The frequent coaching camps are also contributing to the cause and constant collaboration is only helping the team’s chances of securing that elusive medal at the Olympics,” said Kim, who led the South Korean women’s recurve team to its first Olympic gold at Los Angeles 1984.
The veteran coach also has the experience of training over 500 archers from 30 nations and he predicts a strong future for India in archery.
“There are many young archers and it is a bright sign for the future of Indian archery. The experienced heads like Deepika (Kumari), Tarundeep are guiding the young archers. This helps a lot in team building and this is very important in the build-up to the Paris Games.”
At his Korean base, Kim even had a special session with former world No. 1 Deepika Kumari. The three-time Olympian missed the entirety of last season after becoming a mother in December 2022. Deepika is hoping to make it to Paris 2024 on the back of a strong comeback to the sport. She won a silver medal at the Archery World Cup in Shanghai in April.