Archers coached by shrine board win gold medal

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 10

The Indian team comprising Rakesh Kumar, Tarif and Shyam Sunder defeated Romania by 224 points and won the first-ever gold for the country in the final match of the World Ranking Para Archery Championship.

Earlier, the Indian team defeated France in the semi-final of the championship held in Czech Republic from June 30 to July 7.

Rakesh Kumar and Tarif have been coached at the shrine board’s sports complex at Katra under the guidance of Kuldeep Vaidwan, who also accompanied the Indian archery contingent for the tournament. Jyoti Balian, another archer who has been trained at the shrine board’s sports complex, secured the seventh place in the compound women category in the championship. She also reached the quarter-final in the mixed event along with Rakesh Kumar.

Governor NN Vohra, chairman of Shri Mata Vaikshno Devi Shrine Board, has congratulated the archers for winning the gold medal and bringing laurels to the country.

On the directions of the Governor, special coaching camps have been organised at the shrine board’s sports complex in the disciplines of archery, athletics, basketball, badminton and shooting to impart specialised coaching to sportsmen and women.

Because of specialised coaching, state-of-the-art equipment and other facilities, the sportspersons groomed and trained at the complex have been showing promising results at various competitions being held at different venues.