Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) Only those archers who have qualified for the 2012 London Olympics will represent the country, even though they have won the quota places for the nation and not for themselves individually, a top official said Wednesday.

The announcement was made by Archery Association of India (AAI) president Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

Indian have gained four quota places — three in the women’s section and one in the men’s — because of the archers’ best-ever performance at the World Championship in Italy by recurve women Deepika Kumari, Bombayala Devi and Chekrovolu, who won the silver.

Jayant Talukdar is the lone Indian to qualify for the Olympics among men and India still have a chance to gain two more places in the men’s recurve category as a team from a qualification tournament at the World Cup Stage III at Ogden in the US from June 17-23, 2012.

Malhotra said the AAI would make sure that the archers got all possible help in preparing for the Olympics.

“AAI will render all possible assistance to the archers till the Olympics and even after, so that they are focussed,” he said.

Saying that the archers have created a tremendous impact this year, Malhotra pointed out that the they have won a record 37 medals, including 13 gold, 16 silver and 8 bronze.

Malhotra stated that AAI has a development plan that will enable it to import equipment worth Rs 1.25 crore, besides constructing an exclusive archery range in Delhi.

“The federation is ready with a sustained training programme till the Olympics. Now that the archers have proved themselves, they deserve to be encouraged.”

Malhotra said AAI planned to hold four prize money national ranking tournaments in different locations every year with Rs 30 lakhs to win.

He said for the first time the AAI has distributed Rs 4 lakhs incentive money for the performing archers. In all, top 32 Recurve and Compound archers got Rs 1 lakh each.

Malhotra said the AAI took great pride in stating that it was one of the cleanest national sports federation with neither the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and Income-Tax Department pointing out any irregularity. Only eight percent of their revenues was used for administrative purposes and the rest is spent on the game’s promotion.

The AAI is exploring the possibility of getting jobs for not only those who excelled at the international level, but also for those doing well on the national circuit.

He said the World Archery Federation has given the AAI an award for the maximum participation of women in international competitions.

“The AAI would now make the participation of women mandatory for all state teams.”