NEW DELHI: India experienced a monumental medal high at the recently-concluded
Archery World Cup
Stage 1 in Shanghai, where the trio of Tarundeep Rai, Pravin Jadhav and Dhiraj Bommadevara stunned Olympic champions South Korea to clinch a rare gold in the men’s recurve discipline.
But not many would know that the country paid a big price for the indiscretion on the part of Indian team officials who were not only fined but also suspended by the
World Archery
(WA) – the sport’s global governing body – for flouting WA’s rulebook.
The Indian officials had entered the Field of Play (FoP) during crucial knockout matches, including the recurve final. TOI has learnt that Indian archers were without team officials/coaches for a major part of the April 23-28 tournament because the world body barred them from the FoP area.
The world body has fined the Indian contingent 1,000 Swiss Francs (approx. Rs 92,000). They were told to pay the amount before the commencement of the World Cup Stage 2, scheduled from May 21 to 26 in South Korea’s Yecheon, else the country’s archers will not be allowed to participate there.
It will be interesting to see who pays the fine – Sports Authority of India (SAI) or
Archery
Association of India (AAI).
During one of the matches involving the Indians, two team officials, including the manager, entered the FoP, which prompted the judges governing the competition to issue a warning to the country’s contingent. This caution was not communicated to other Indian coaches who again entered the FoP – two team officials – during the men’s recurve team’s quarterfinal match. The world body again warned them and fined them nominally.
Strangely, the same mistake was repeated during the semifinal and the world body not only barred the coaches from entering the FoP during the final against South Korea but also fined them 1,000 Swiss Francs.
Despite no coach to guide them at the final, the seasoned Indian trio kept its calm and clinched the gold – a first for men’s recurve archery team in 14 years.
The Archery Association of India (AAI) has launched a probe into the matter and has sought a report from its team manager Purnima Mahato.
English (US) ·