Tarundeep Rai had a close battle against his former India teammate Rahul Banerjee before making the cut in the four-member side. (Source: File)
Experienced archer Tarundeep Rai has described his return to India team as the “toughest” comeback of his career and said he now wants to do well at the World Cup and World Championships this year.
The two-time Olympian will be shooting in a World Cup after more than a year since representing India in Medellin Stage 2, before being dropped ahead of Rio Olympics. Rai won the last of his six World Cup team medals at Stage 4, Wroclaw in 2014 and his decline has coincided with the Indian men’s recurve team’s prolonged lacklustre show.
The men’s recurve team had a lean 2015 and won a solitary bronze at World Cup Stage 1 Shanghai in a forgettable 2016 when they failed to qualify for Olympics. Shooting with the likes of promising youngsters Atanu Das and Sachin Gupta, who is almost half of his age, the Army veteran is undoubtedly under pressure.
But Rai is seeking inspiration from a similar comeback in 2009 when he went on to earn India a historic individual silver at the Asian Games Guangzhou 2010.
“This has been the toughest comeback. I’m not getting young and every year scores of promising youngsters keep coming,” Rai told PTI at India camp in SAI Netaji Subhas Eastern Centre before leaving for Berlin yesterday.
“It’s a matter of pride to be back in India team. I will hope to do my best and retain my spot,” he said. Rai said is looking foward to World Championships later this year.
“There’s Asian Games next year too but I’m not looking too far ahead. At the moment the focus is on this year’s last World Cup and then the World Championships (October, Mexico),” he said.
Rai had a close battle against his former India teammate Rahul Banerjee before making the cut in the four-member side which also has 31-year-old Jayanta Talukdar.
“They (Das and Gupta) are very young but promising. Our role is to guide them and bring out the best,” Rai said. Rai and Das, who incidentally share the room at SAI, have common personal coach in Chungda Sherpa, who’s accompanying the side to Berlin.
“I’ve been there on a couple of occasions in 2004 and 2007 but never won a medal.” Slipped to 240 in rankings, Rai, who made his Olympic debut in Athens 2004, is counting on his vast experience.
“I had an injury layoff in 2008 and made a comeback in 2009 at the same place before the glorious 2010,” Rai said recollecting his Commonwealth Games team bronze and Asian Games silver medal feats.
