Asian Games 2014: Where mind is without fear

Deepika Kumari lets out a wry smile when you mention London and mental toughness in the same breath. At 18, she was among the youngest members of the Indian contingent at the Olympics two years ago.

Deepika Kumari ( Photo by Indian Express )

 The then world No. 1 was also the country’s brightest medal prospect. But in front of packed stands at Lord’s – a venue far too familiar to the Indians – the dramatic mental disintegration of the archer was astonishing. Unable to adapt to the windy conditions, she failed to hit a single bulls-eye and went down 2-6 in the first round to Englishwoman Amy Oliver. She hasn’t forgotten that morning, yet. “I haven’t been allowed to forget it,” she quickly adds. 

London wasn’t a solitary moment of failure for Deepika. It triggered a prolonged lean patch in her fledgling career; her staggering slump as dramatic as her prodigious rise. And it’s likely that those memories will come rushing back when she lines up against Asia and world’s best at the Gyeyang Asiad Archery Field. The windy and overcast conditions here left creases on her forehead.

This time, however, she insists she is better prepared. “The windy conditions will be the same for everyone. It will depend a lot on how I feel that day, my body condition and mental state,” she says, as she checks into the Games Village, clinging on to a giant teddy.

How well she adapts to the conditions will be the key in determining where she finishes on the podium – if she finishes on the podium. It’s solely for this purpose that the archers were the first to reach South Korea, a good two weeks before the others. India’s Korean coach Lim Chae Woong brought the team to Gwangju, nearly 250km from Incheon, to train with some local archers.

For a couple of days, even reigning Olympic and world champion archer Ki Bo-Bae joined the Indian contingent. “It has helped a lot in terms of preparation. I have worked on a few specific aspects like playing in front of crowds and keeping a cool mind. We have practised in front of crowds. Even though the atmosphere at the Asian Games will be quite different, it helped. Let’s see how things unfold during competition,” Deepika says.

You can sense that the lost confidence is slowly returning. Deepika says it’s the return to her old coach and old bow that has done the trick. A few months ago, she slipped to 19th in the rankings following a string of poor results this year and failed to make it to the senior squad for the Stage I and III World Cups.

To arrest her slide, she returned to Dharmendra Tiwary, who coached Deepika in the early years of her career. The reunion was more to prep her psychologically than technically, Tiwary says. “She gets nervous before big matches. Even before the continued…

By Indian Express