For the Arjuna award-winning archery sibling duo from Bengal — Dola Banerjee and Rahul Banerjee — a career in sports and archery was meant to be. Dola initially had an interest in music, inspired by her maternal cousins and singers Shaan and Sagarika, while Rahul was drawn to martial arts. However, destiny led them to pursue archery as their extracurricular activity, resulting in countless medals and memorable achievements for themselves and their home state of West Bengal and India.

Their commitment to the sport extends well beyond the long hours of practice on the field and the medals they have won for their state and country. Currently, they are dedicated to nurturing their passion for archery by training budding archers, with the goal of achieving an Olympic victory as coaches. A t2 chat and shoot with the brother-sister duo ahead of Raksha Bandhan, discussing sports and more:

On Childhood Bond and Growing Up Together

Dola: We have a six-year age difference, so my relationship with Rahul has always been more of an elder sister. Our father was strict about us stepping out to play in the evening; we couldn’t just stay at home. The ground beside our house had the facility of playing archery on a daily basis and other sports on weekends. I started with archery, he joined karate. Initially, I found the game boring, but when I won a bronze medal in 1990, my interest piqued. As I began winning medals, I needed more practice hours and help on the field. That’s when he started accompanying me to the archery classes. Our father insisted that since he was spending time on the field, he should also try out the sport. Although he wasn’t initially interested, we began practising together. We often attended tournaments and stayed at camps together during our growing-up days.
Rahul: I started archery because of her. Initially, I wasn’t interested in the sport; I was more into martial arts. My interest grew as I began winning medals. More than our parents, my sister was much stricter and would scold me if I made any mistakes on the field. My friends were also scared of her. (Laughs) Despite the scolding, there was a lot of exchange of techniques and support. During the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, she competed in the morning, and I competed in the evening. She advised me about the wind direction, their team won the gold, and I secured an individual gold.

Back then, most of the equipment had to be imported, so she would bring it for me. My main interest behind doing better in this sport was to sit on an international flight. (Laughs) I would see her flying to different parts of the world. We spent many Rakhi and Bhai Phonta celebrations at the camps, where we used to stay away from our parents for days. From exchanging archery equipment and shopping together to being each other’s biggest cheerleaders, our time together while growing up was memorable.
Dola: Although we didn’t have chandan while at the camps and tournaments, we used Multani mitti for Bhai Phonta! (Laughs) We used to keep the Multani mitti to protect our skin after long hours of practice under the sun. Having a family member at the tournament was a great source of support.

Rakhi Rituals at Home

Rahul: Now we try to celebrate Rakhi in Calcutta together. Our children also tie Rakhis; my daughter even made a handmade Rakhi for her son this year.
Dola: The kids have even started joining us on the field at our academy now. (Laughs)

Most Memorable Career Moments of Each Other

Rahul: Definitely 2007, when she became the World Cup Final Champion and the first to win a medal. To this day, no one has replicated that achievement. Also, the Commonwealth Games in 2007 were significant since it happened in India. There wasn’t much live telecast, but we both won gold and bronze, which was a huge accomplishment. People in our country could watch the game live.
Dola: Their junior team won the World Championship in 2004, securing a silver medal — the first international medal for India. That motivated us greatly. By 2010, the Indian team won multiple medals, and the junior group started excelling from 2007 onward, consistently winning gold and silver for two to three years. Before that, India wasn’t even in the top 16. Hearing our national anthem play when we win gold is always a proud moment for us. My gold medal win in Dover was particularly memorable for me.

Starting the Academy Together and Journey as Coaches

Rahul: The idea for the academy was mine. At first, I received no support at all from my family, but eventually didi understood my vision. We were still playing when I started the academy. She didn’t want my focus to shift. We’re sending children to world championships from our academy. Young talents from all over India are training under us. Archery used to have nothing, but now at least 10 of the top students in any championship are from our academy.

We even opened an academy in Delhi. We initiated a transition to show that archery and sports can be viable professions. Professional players receive funding, and we are trying to promote that transition in Bengal. Our target is the 2036 Olympics. Sponsorship and funding have improved significantly, and we’re giving technical support. Now we have players from Chennai and even Canada. Now they have many tournament options to choose from, whereas we had only two in our time.
Dola: We started the academy while I was winding down my playing career. The Tokyo Olympics was my last event, and I retired in 2016 to take over the training centre while he continued with camps. Sports have become a significant profession now. It is today’s children who will compete in 2036, not today’s players. A big turning point in my career was joining TATA Archery Academy in 1997. That support was incredibly helpful. I received quality equipment and participated in competitions from Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand. I also got foreign coaching support. Now, we provide that support to kids right from the start. The support we received came much later, so we ensure that children get assistance right from the start. We’ve won all competitions except for the Olympics.
Rahul: We have witnessed significant developments in this sport. In middle-class families like ours, we used to wonder how to obtain a bow. Nowadays, if I suggest that it’s not necessary to buy an expensive bow right from the start, parents often respond by saying they want the best for their child immediately. People believe that performing well in archery will open up many opportunities. Winning a national medal can secure a government job, which many individuals are eagerly waiting for. We both have nearly all the medals, except for the Olympic medal, and we are looking forward to the Los Angeles Olympics. If we achieve a breakthrough, we will continue to bring home medals. We are also working very hard with the women’s team, including athletes like Deepika (Kumari). There are definitely promising opportunities in archery in the upcoming years.

Bond Beyond Archery

Rahul: We are so involved in the game that we have hardly had time to engage in anything else. Archery itself has diversified into numerous disciplines, and our focus is on the students now.
Dola: As players, we used to think only about ourselves, but as coaches, we need to consider all of our students. So, our major discussions involve our students. Beyond archery, we love travelling together. It allows our kids to bond too.

 Pictures: Pabitra Das
Styling: Isha Thakkar
Make-up and hair: Bhaskar Biswas
Rahul’s outfits: Surbhi Pansari
Dola’s outfits: Showsha
Jewellery: Kulthiaa Jewel
Location: Kenilworth Hotel