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Pune, January 18: Vinayak Verma of Punjab, recurve gold medallist in the boys Under-17 event at the Delhi Khelo India School Games is determined to turn in a repeat performance in Pune.
The 15-year-old, a 10th standard student of Narain Public School in Patiala, was also the team silver medallist at the 3rd Asian Championship in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He will again compete in the U-17 recurve event, which is one of eight gold medals on the line in the KIYG archery competition, that will be hosted at the Army Sports Institute here.
In all, 128 archers will compete in the boys and girls Under 17 and 21 individual recurve and compound event.
"Archery is a concentration sport, we have to forget the score of every arrow we have hit and get ready for the next one. On a daily basis, I do meditation that helps in focusing during the game,” said Verma.
“It's great to be back in Pune where last year I was the youngest archer during Senior Nationals and finished in the top 16," he added.
Haryana’s Akash Malik, who represented India at the Youth Olympics and also won a bronze medal at the Delhi KISG is likely to be his toughest competitor. Paras Hooda, another archer from Haryana who won silver along with Vinayak in Dhaka will be another medal prospect.
For Soumitro Ghosh, a Commerce student of the Shri Shahu College in Pune, it feels like the Olympics have come to his city. Ghosh, who will be competing in the boys U-21 compound event, said, “The KIYG is a great platform. It feels just like the Olympics with several sports happening across the city.”
“I took to archery four years ago and am happy to represent Maharashtra here. I won two bronze medals at the all-India University Games in Bhubaneshwar last year and will try to bring glory to my state."
