Seraikela-Kharsawan is all set to host the 2nd NTPC National Ranking Archery Tournament scheduled between April 2 and 11.
Prominent archers from across the country, including Jharkhand's Kolamlika Bari, Ankita Bhakat, Olympian Deepika Kumari, Jayanta Talukdar and Krishna Swansi will be trying to make a mark during the event to be conducted at NIT ground in Adityapur. Deepika's hubby and Olympian Atanu Das is also one of the key contestants.
The tournament is being organised by Jharkhand Archery Association (JAA) under the auspices of Archery Association of India (AAI). Office bearers of Seraikela-Kharsawan District Archery Association (SKDAA) are working hard for efficient conduct of the national ranking tournament.
SKDAA president Meera Munda, wife of Union minister Arjun Munda, JAA secretary Dronacharya awardee Purnima Mahto and SKDAA secretary inspected the venue a couple of days back and issued necessary instructions.
SKDAA secretary Sumanta Mohanty said a total of 192 archers (senior, junior and sub-junior categories) will be competing in the tournament. The AAI is also sending some talented archers for exposure. The event will be conducted in recurve and compound divisions, he said over phone from Kharsawan.
According to him, the archers and officials will be accommodated at separate hotels in Adityapur and Gamharia, which are located not very far from the tournament venue. "We have formed various sub-committees for hassle-free conduct of the tournament. It is for the fifth time Seraikela-Kharsawan is hosting a national archery tournament,"Mohanty, also joint secretary of AAI, added.
Union tribal affairs minister and president of AAI Arjun Munda will inaugurate the tournament.
Archers will arrive at the venue on April 2 and depart on April 11. The competition will kick-off on April 3.
While the recurve and compound archers will try their luck on April 3 and 4 (April 5 rest day), while their junior counterparts will shoot on April 6 and 7 (April 8 rest day). The sub-junior archers will compete on April 9 and 10.
Seraikela-Kharsawan, some 45 km from Jamshedpur, is the cradle of archery in Jharkhand. It has produced several international archers. The Seraikela-Kharsawan district administration runs an archery cradle in the erstwhile princely town of Kharsawan. Deepika Kumari learnt the nuances of archery at the cradle in her formative years.
Besides the cradle in Kharsawan, the state government runs a similar facility at Dugni (near Seraikela). Jharkhand's Golden Boy Gora Ho, who has a penchant for winning yellow metals, is an ex-cadet of Dugni cradle.