TFA and Tata Steel sports department chief Sanjeeva Singh at his office. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, Aug. 6: Qualification has helped Sanjeeva Singh to master the dynamics of coaching and learn various sports discipline with ease.

Having been selected for the Dronacharya Award, Singh is looking forward to using his expertise to take sports to a different level in steel city.

He will receive the award from the President of India in New Delhi on August 29.

The Telegraph caught up with the Tata Steel sports boss for a chit-chat. “It feels nice to attain another milestone. I am happy the government has recognised my contribution to sports as a coach,” he said.

Credited with playing a leading role in the makeover of archery in the country, the 45-year-old said that he was looking forward to help India clinch gold in the 2012 Olympics in London.

“A gold in London Olympics is my dream. I am working hard with some talented archers. I am optimistic about a positive outcome,” he said.

A gold medallist in mechanical engineering from BIT (Mesra), Singh has also to his credit a diploma in business management from XLRI. He admitted that his strong educational background has been instrumental in making him grasp the mechanism of bows and arrows easily.

He thanked Tata Steel managing director B. Muthuraman, its vice-president (corporate services) Partha Sengupta, his predecessor at the sports department Satish Pillai, Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company managing director Sanjeev Paul and colleagues in Jharkhand Archery Association for their support in helping him promote archery. “I am very thankful to Tata Steel for what it has done for me. I would not have reached this far had I not been a part of the company,” Singh said, in a modest tone.

He said his parents, wife Madhu Singh and sons Abhyudaya and Abhyank have encouraged him in a constant way.

He has been instrumental in convincing Tata Steel management to set up an archery academy in Jamshedpur.

The Tata Archery Academy has produced world-level archers like Jayant Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee, Prabhat Kandir, Robin Hansda, Reena Kumari, Chekrovolu Swuro who have won medals at World Championship at Spain in 2005 and World Cup at Croatia in 2006, Junior World Championship 2004 and 2006.

Singh is also responsible for conceptualising compound archery in India. Compound archery took roots in the country in February 2004.

As a coach, Singh has helped archers bag 40 medals in compound division at Asian Championship (New Delhi), Junior World Championship (Mexico), Commonwealth Meet (Jamshedpur), Junior Asian Championship (Chinese Taipei and China).

Besides, the Arjuna Award in 1994, Singh has also been bestowed with Birsa Munda sports award, 2007, for development of archery in Jharkhand.