A promising young archer from Seraikela-Kharsawan, Anil Lohar, is getting frustrated day by day for being forced to continue shooting with his ordinary tattered bow.
The 25-year-old is still waiting for a sophisticated compound bow recommended to the state sports department by Union tribal affairs minister and boss of Archery Association of India Arjun Munda. The recommendation was made in June 2020.
Lohar, a resident of Pinderabera village in Gamharia block, 35 km from Jamshedpur, also has insufficient arrows. The jobless archer was very optimistic about getting a compound bow from the state government after Munda's recommendation but is now rueing the lack of support from the government.
Lohar competes in the Indian round section (shooting with traditional bows and arrows) but, keeping his talent in mind, the Seraikela-Kharsawan District Archery Association (SKDAA) was serious about making him switch to the globally accepted compound division.
"Ab mujhe dhanush milne ki koi aasha nahi hain, aur Indian round mein koi bhavishya nahin hain. Lagta hain ab jyada dino tak nahih khel paunga (I have lost all hopes of getting a bow. There is no future in Indian round. I don't think I can continue for long)" Lohar, who claimed gold in the Indian round section in the senior national archery championship in Cuttack in March 2019, said.
He received a cash award of Rs 75,000 for this feat but that money has since been exhausted.
The hapless archer could not shoot properly in the recently held 41st NTPC Senior National Archery Championship held in Jammu. He lost his finger tab (a small leather or synthetic patch that protects an archer's fingers from the bowstring). Lohar borrowed a finger tab from a fellow archer but could not get adjusted to it. This affected his shooting.
A compound bow costs Rs 2.50 lakh and Lohar, who sells chicken to make ends meet, cannot afford it. "I am jobless and have a family to feed."
Lohar is selling chickens in areas surrounding his village. However, the income is not enough to sustain his family.
“I have no other option but to sell chickens even though I am facing problems in sustaining my family. The state government should help out sportspersons who have won medals in national and international competitions. It should encourage sportspersons," Lohar said.
SKDAA secretary Sumanta Mohanty said the government was least concerned about the plight of sportspersons.
“We are aware of the problems faced by Lohar. He (Lohar) is a promising archer and has the ability to progress into compound division. A compound bow would do a world of good to him. Lohar is facing monetary problems. We need a promising archer like him,” he added.
