Ayodhya has become a hotspot for archery as it hosts the NTPC Senior National Archery Championship (30th Indian round, 43rd recurve, and 19th compound) in the Government Inter College from November 25 to November 29, 2023.
The tournament commenced with an opening ceremony setting the stage for what promises to be a memorable event in archery with Arjun Munda, Union Minister, Tribal Affairs, Government of India and President, Archery Association of India inaugurating the tournament.
The tournament which has around 1,100 archers (550 men and women each) participating from across the country aims to take archery to the next level in Uttar Pradesh.
Union Minister, Arjun Munda said, “Uttar Pradesh has organised an incredible tournament in the land of Lord Ram. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi has prioritized sports in the country and this is the reason why our athletes are bringing laurels at the international level. Archery is a sport that connects us with our rich heritage and culture.”
“Uttar Pradesh today has become the sports capital of India and the senior national archery tournament is another addition to our terrific list of sporting events,” Girish Chandra Yadav, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs of Uttar Pradesh said.
Awanish K. Awasthi, President, Uttar Pradesh Archery Association said, “UPAA’s vision is to connect the sports of archery to the roots of archery in India and with this in mind, we decided to host this tournament and are proud to have talented archers from across the country showcase their skills in Ayodhya. India’s recent performance at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where the national team won its first archery gold in the competition, has renewed the interest of people in the sport of archery.
“UP archers have also been performing exceptionally well on the national circuit and grabbed a silver and bronze at the recently concluded 37th National Games in Goa. The aim is to further popularise the sport of archery among youths in UP and the country. Ayodhya serves as a fitting venue for the tournament as it is the city of Lord Ram who himself was a skilled archer. Tournaments like these further promote ‘Sports Tourism’ in the state.”
The 400-odd archers representing different states on day 1 put in some exceptional performances, demonstrating outstanding skills in different events. These talented young archers showed remarkable precision, technique, and sportsmanship that left spectators in awe. Olympic qualification berth winner B. Dhiraj, Tarundeep Rai, Tushar Shelke, Ankita Bhakat and Simranjeet Kaur are among the top recurve archers participating.
World champions Aditi Swami and Ojas Deotale apart from Parneet Kaur, Avneet Kaur, Abhishek Verma and Prathamesh Jawkar are among the well-known archers who will compete in the compound competition.
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