Rejected in '30 seconds' - How ace archer Atanu Das moulded himself into an Olympian 

Rejections are a part and parcel of the game. It can make or break a player. And for Tokyo-bound Indian recurve archer Atanu Das, a rejection at the age of 15 came as a blessing in disguise, as it ignited the winning spirit in him.

His father wanted him to take up an Olympic sport and thus he began training in an 'unpopular' discipline like archery at the Kolkata Archery Club near his hometown while most of his friends were often found playing the more popular sport in the country - football or cricket.

But his route to the Olympics was not easy as he constantly worked on bettering himself after an initial rejection.

"That rejection was my turning point and made me think what do I lack or am I not capable of. The process in the academy then was to check height, body posture, draw pattern, physical fitness, mental toughness and a lot of other small tests.

"I could never proceed in any of these exams as I was short for my age (14-15 years). I was then asked to draw (the bow). They analysed but I was rejected. I might have had a technical flaw and I could not proceed further in the tests.

"From there on, I told myself, I will take up archery as my career and made it a mindset. I worked hard for six months, stayed on the field for long hours, to improve myself in order to win. I had the winning spirit at that time with a strong mindset. I just wanted to win," the World No. 34 added.

The hard work soon began to yield results as he bagged a top podium finish, within six months, in his maiden appearance at the junior national archery championships. He then made his international debut at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore 2010 where he was eliminated in the first round. The relentless training and will to improve saw him clinch a silver medal at the World Youth Championships in 2011.

The Kolkata-based archer then went on to make his maiden Olympic appearance at Rio 2016, where he needed 10 in his final shot of the fifth set to take the contest into a shoot-off against South Korean archer Lee Seung-Yun in the Round of 16, but managed only 9.

The heartbreak at Rio, however, has helped him upgrade himself for Tokyo 2020 where he aims to be at his best.

"It is a feeling of pride that people have faith in me and I prepare myself accordingly. I don't take any kind of pressure about it. The way I played Olympics in 2016, I thought, it was the best for me but it was not enough for a podium finish. Then I analyzed my gaps and worked on the sections which can help me earn a podium finish," Das said.

"I had started working on it just after the 2016 Olympics. From there on, it has been three to four years, with the last tournament as World Championships (2019). I have performed well and feel that have upgraded myself mentally, skill-wise, in every way," he added.

Ever since taking up the discipline seriously, Das has been a constant learner, and setbacks have only brought out the best in him.