HYDERABAD: Dronacharya of archers, pick up the bow

Hyderabad: Away from the crowd, P Sankaraiah, whose name is known for archery, is dedicated to discovering talents and promoting the sport across the state, showing the same commitment and passion even at the age of 63. So, when it was formally announced that the compound bow (mixed team event) will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Sankaraiah’s happiness is understandable. The reason? Apart from training young talents in the recurve and Indian round categories, compound bow was recently included among his trainees, as India is traditionally known as a force in archery. Interestingly, Sankaraiah told ‘Telangana Today’ that Khammam has the highest number of archery training centres. There are archery centres at sports schools in Kinnerasani (boys) and Kanchanapalli (girls), each looking after 40 trainees, archery centres at Eklavya Kendriya Vidyalayas in Kothagudem and Dammapeta and two Khelo India Archery Centres in Khammam and Palvoncha.

Obviously, the inclusion of the compound bow in the Olympics is a morale booster for everyone like Thaniparthi Chikitha from Peddapalli, who hails from a poor background. “We hope she does exceptionally well,” he said. For the record, Chikitha won a gold medal at the 37th Senior National Games in Goa, apart from which she has been a consistent performer at several national-level championships. “Jyothi Surekha has been a pioneer in the compound bow category since the days of united Andhra Pradesh with her spectacular achievements. Now this move by the IOC will encourage more people to take up the sport with big dreams,” says the retired sports officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Authority in Khammam, who does not shy away from the sport even today. Notably, Shankaraiah is now also part of the recently appointed three-member committee (the other two being Purnima Mahato and Sanjay Singh) set up by the Archery Association of India to scout talent in rural and tribal areas. Shankaraiah produced G. Morappa, the first international medallist in archery from united Andhra Pradesh. “There is no greater joy than honing raw talent. I only hope Telangana produces many more champion archers,” says the passionate Guru, who is not surprised that his 35 years of selfless service to the sport has never received any recognition.