Ranchi: The girl with the silver sparkle, Madhumita Kumar, 21, arrived at the capital airport here on Saturday to a rousing welcome. Over 200 people received the Asiad team silver winner of compound archery with cheers, banners, flowers and drumbeats and then took her out on a "spontaneous rally" on an open jeep.

The girl from West Bokaro, Ramgarh, who trained for over a decade at Silli's Birsa Munda Archery Academy, won her first international medal - and that too a team silver in compound archery at the ongoing Asiad in Jakarta, Indonesia - on August 28, last Tuesday, which also happened to be her birthday.

She and her coach Prakash from the Silli academy, who trained her since she was a child when he was in West Bokaro, were seated on the jeep that went slowly for a distance of 1km from the airport to the beats of dhols, patriotic songs played on loudspeakers and the Indian Tricolour held aloft by her fans.

Coach Prakash, Ranchi University VC Ramesh Kumar Pandey, pro VC Kamini Kumar, Doranda College Principal V.S. Tiwari, students from Sports Training Centre of Jharkhand Government, Doranda College students, people from Birsa Munda Archery Academy, Madhumita's father Jitendra Narayan Singh and other family members, among others, reached the airport around 10am to welcome the star archer with banners that had her pictures with the silver medal.

Madhumita said she was overwhelmed. "This is like a dream come true, this honour is a precious gift. A welcome of this kind was beyond my expectations. I will dream on and bring the gold medal," she said

Coach Prakash sounded extremely proud of his ward. "I am glad that we could bring this honour to the state and the country, this will encourage more archers. I hope that they will keep making the country proud like Madhumita."

Madhumita was a part of the trio from India, along with Muskan Kirar from Jabalpur and Jyothi Surekha Vennam from Vijaywada, that fought a closely contested final against South Korea to bring home the silver. Madhumita became the first from Jharkhand to win the silver in women compound archery at Asiad.

Her father works at Tata Steel colliery mines and she has two other sisters.

Chief minister Raghubar Das earlier announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for the ace archer for bringing glory to her state and country.

Has Madhumita re-ignited interest in compound archery? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com