Archery Association of India aims to strengthen its grassroots programme, to conduct zonal competition from November 7 in Haryana

To strengthen its grassroots programme, the Archery Association of India (AAI) will conduct a zonal tournament starting next month.

To begin with, AAI in coordination with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) will organize North Zone tournament in recurve and compound disciplines. It will be held from November 7 in Sonepat, Haryana, said Pramod Chandurkar, secretary general of AAI.

According to Pramod, zonal competitions will be added to the main calendar from the 2022 competitive season. The main aim of the zonal tournament will be to tap resources at the grassroots level, he added.

“The zonal tournament will give athletes an opportunity on the fringes to showcase their talent. Several athletes are unable to make the cut for the national team, but zonal tournaments will provide an additional chance to excel at the state level competition,” said Pramod.

Around 300 archers are expected to compete in the North Zone competition. Archers from states including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi will compete in the tournament.

North Zone competition might be a beacon of light for the rest of the country

The North Zone competition said Pramod will act as a model for other states when they conduct zonal tournaments across India.

“The inaugural edition of the North Zone competition is being organized on an experimental basis. The SAI is providing infrastructure while the archery federation will provide technical inputs. Success in the North Zone will enable us to move forward and organize zonal competition in other parts of India,” reveals Pramod.

Archers competing in the North Zone tournament will have to pay for their own boarding and lodging. Plans are also in the pipeline to conduct coaches and judges seminars at the zonal level, said the AAI official.

Meanwhile, AAI will conduct sub-junior national archery competition in both boys’ and girls’ group next month in Maharashtra.

The AAI recently organized senior national tournament in Jharkhand. The junior competition was conducted in Uttarakhand.

“We are planning to conduct a sub-junior national tournament in Amaravati from November 22,” added Pramod.