Top 24 archers from recurve men and women’s sections will be seen action in the final leg of the selection trials, to be held at the KIIT University ground, Bhubaneswar, for the upcoming World Cups and World championships.
Even as action in the NTPC National archery championships at the Barabati Stadium here will switch to the compound division on Wednesday, elite recurve archers would be engaged in another crucial tussle with the primary objective of making it to the squad for the World championships.
The Worlds, to be held in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, from June 3 to 9, will offer nearly half of the total quota places (128) in the Olympics.
As per the new selection process, the Archery Association of India (AAI) has taken the top 16 from the Open selection trials held in Rohtak in January and added the top-ranked eight from the National championships (after excluding the 16 from Rohtak) to prepare a list of 24 in each category.
Following a ranking round, 12 of the 24 will go through a head-to-head round robin league. The top four will qualify for World Cups I and III and the next four for World Cup II.
The top three will make the cut for the World championships.
“This is a sound process. Those who win something by fluke cannot get selected,” said seasoned archer Tarundeep Rai.
Three-time Olympian L. Bombayala Devi also favoured the process.
“This is a better way to select a team as you get good archers,” said Bombayala.
Shortlisted archers for trials:
Men: Tarundeep Rai (SSCB), Atanu Das (PSPB), Mangal Singh Champia (RSPB), Pravin Jadhav (SSCB), Sukhchain Singh (SSCB), Sanjay Boro (Asm), Gora Ho (SSCB), Atul Verma (SSCB), Sukhmani Babrekar (Mah), Vakil Raj Dindor (SSCB), B. Dhiraj (AP), Indrachand Swami (SSCB), Kapil (RSPB), Akash (Har), Yashden (SSCB), Jagdish Choudhary (SSCB), Chaman Singh (AIP), Vishwash (SSCB), Gurucharan Besra (Jha), Basant (Har) Ajay (Del), Hurdub Tiriya (AIP), Priyank (UP) and Gaurab Lambe (Mah).
Women: Deepika Kumari (Jha), Himani (Har), L.Bombayala Devi (RSPB), Madhu Vedwan (UP), Sakshi Shitole (Mah), Preeti (RSPB), Ankita Bhakat (Jha), Monika Saran (RSPB), Suparna Singh (WB), Sangeeta (Har), Sehajpreet Kaur (Pun), Promila Daimary (Asm), Amanpreet Kaur (Pun), V. Sharda (AIP), Komolika Bari (Jha), Himani Boro (AIP), Ridhi Phor (Har), Kelmit Lepcha (Cht), Susmita Biruly (Jha), Sumandeep Kaur (AIP), Rimil Biruily (RSPB), Ishita (AIP), Simranjeet Kaur (Pun) and Asha Rani Horo (AIP).