Bang on target
Gagan K. Teja

After registering their names in the best teams of the country, Punjab women archers are all set to make their presence felt in the international arena with two of them getting selected to represent India in the first and second stage of the World Cup 2012 that will be held at Shanghai, China, from April 10 to 15 and Turkey from May 1 to 5, respectively. Currently attending a camp at the NIS, Kolkata, Gagandeep Kaur and Parveena will be two out of the four archers who will compete in the women’s compound event there. The third player in their team P. Lily Chanu, who though hails from Manipur, is also studying in Punjabi University, Patiala. 

Having come this far, their road to success hasn’t been easy. They had to brave multiple problems, including lack of finances and sports facilities. But the only thing that kept them going was their will to make a name for themselves in the field of sports. After seeking admission in Punjabi University, Patiala, they got the support of university’s Sports Director, Dr Rajkumar Sharma, and coach Jiwanjot Singh, who not only provided them with the equipment worth lakhs but also got their event changed to compound round, which did the trick for them.

Born on April 2, 1988, in a middle-class family, Gagandeep Kaur, who is the first and sole Punjab archer to participate and win medals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and World Cup 2011 at USA, had no idea that she would one day make it this big in the game. Talking about her career in archery, she said, “I was in Class XI when I started going with one of my friends to the polo ground for learning archery just to keep her company. Eventually, I started enjoying the game. Later, when I expressed my desire to continue the game, my father Jasvir Singh, who is a Class IV government employee, told me that I was intelligent enough to make my own choice. However, he also added that studies, too, were equally important. Ever since, there has been no looking back,” she added. Notably, Gagandeep Kaur has been an overall performer, and scored distinction in her chosen subjects in graduation while performing well in various national and international tournaments. She is currently working as a senior clerk with the Sports Department of the Railways (DMW, Patiala)

Parveena (22), on the other hand, was inspired by her sister Sunita Rani, who is an international archer, who has won a bronze medal in World University Games and was the National Games Champion at Jamshedpur recently. “I used to play in the Indian round earlier, which is valid only in India, and won various medals but could not switch the category because of shortage of money. Then my sister got cash awards for her performance from her university and the Archery Association of India with which she bought her personal equipment and gave it to me. Ever since, I have been training at Punjabi University and have made it to the Indian squad within one year,” added Parveena. 

Giving the credit of their success to their coach, families and the Archery Association, the two archers are now looking forward to winning medals in the World Cup. “While I have done my bit, I am hoping the government keeps its promise of providing respectable jobs to all deserving sportspersons so that our future is secure and we can play without any pressure of finding decent jobs,” added Parveena.

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