World field compound champion John Dudley gives lessons on bow setting on the fourth day of the international seminar on compound archery at JRD Tata Sports Complex.Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, Sept. 28: Whether it is the coaches or the players themselves, all seem to be bowled over by ace archer John Dudley. Here, on a coaching seminar on compound archery, Dudley has managed to interact with the archers in a very positive way.

Dudley also conducted sessions with 20 coaches from within and outside Jharkhand who assembled at the JRD Tata Sports Complex for the inaugural seminar on compound archery. Apparently, the attitude and sense of humour of the world field compound champion went down very well with the players.

Some coaches shared their observations about the camp with The Telegraph this morning. They felt that Dudley had taken up the task very seriously and they were sure that training under the ace archer would do a world of good to them.

Hyderabad-based P. Ravi Shankar, who is from the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh, said seminars such as these are of great significance if a person who is an authority in compound archery conducts them.

“The mechanism of the bow as well as physical and mental aspects of the game, which are the main ingredients in the making of an archer, was taught to us with clarity. Dudley’s attitude was very good to say the least,” Shankar added.

His colleague, C.R. Kurmi from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre, said Dudley’s notes about the game were very valuable.

“Attitude and gratitude are important elements which govern the career of an archer. Dudley explained these two aspects well. I feel extremely lucky to have been given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings here. The seminar has motivated me to perform better. Such events should be hosted more often,” he added.

Harender Singh, a coach from the Dumka Archery Centre, seemed impressed with the work schedule of the US-based exponent. Whether it was the tuning of bows or co-ordinating the equipment with the arrows, the lessons learnt were of great value.

“I could not have imagined that such a comprehensive programme for coaches would be organised. I’ll try to teach my wards about things I’ve managed to pick up from Dudley,” said Singh.

Singh was certain that all the players, especially the boys, would score more points after the camp.

Echoing Singh was D. Saisweri, who trains budding archers of Jamshedpur Public School. She enjoyed Dudley’s tips on physical training.

“The physical aspects of training and coaching have been excellently taught. Moreover, anchoring before shooting and the focus on a low diet after weight training were important things I’ve picked up. The stint under Dudley is set to keep me in good form,” she stated.

B.S. Rao, who trains at the Seraikela-Kharsawan Archery Centre, spoke on similar lines.

Budding coaches, who are pursuing their career at the National Institute of Sports (SAI Centre, Calcutta), also gained from the archery camp.

“We have been sent here by SAI to gain an insight on compound archery. The experience has been good so far. Dudley’s focus has been on the importance of shooting with a free mind. That was a very good thing to know,” said Ravinder Sharma, who originally hails from Delhi.

Fellow coach Rajesh Tambolia from Banswara in Rajasthan felt the short coaching stint taught him several aspects of the game.

“An uncluttered mind helps a coach as well as an archer attain success. Lessons on bow setting and arrow tuning were class acts,” he added.