“Jab aag lagta hai na, tabhi rocket chalta hai (the rocket moves only after the fire is lit),” Atanu Das says with a comfortable snicker.
A disappointing Tokyo Olympics in past due 2021 set ablaze a smog of gloom across the ace Indian archer, which thickened because of his failure to discover a spot within the nationwide setup remaining yr. The rocket enkindled along with his comeback to the Indian recurve workforce, Das landed on the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Antalya to go back with a workforce silver and self assurance in an “upgraded version” of himself.
From successful a person gold within the World Cup in 2021 (Guatemala City, Stage 1) not to doing neatly sufficient within the nationwide trials for the proper to compete in any of them remaining yr, the slide have been steep for the 31-year- previous. Understandably, he used to be brimming with pleasure “by the time I was leaving for the airport” to move to Antalya.
“I believed, in the end, I’m going to compete at that level once more. I will’t let you know how a lot I ignored it,” Das said. “It is why I loved it extra. I carried sure expectancies, however when I began competing, all I may just really feel used to be the sense of pleasure of being there once more.”
Das used to be utterly disadvantaged of that feeling after the Tokyo Olympics. A 3rd-round loss within the person tournament, once you have previous 2012 Games person medalist Oh Jin-hyek of Korea, “thoda jyada hi heavy tha (was a bit too difficult to take)”. A two-month wreck, which Das spent most commonly touring round, helped. Below-par outings in remaining yr’s trials that saved him out of the workforce—Das completed outdoor the highest 8 within the March trials for Asian Games and World Cups—didn’t.
“I knew the type of preparation I had performed going into Tokyo. And regardless of the way it comes, even supposing after competing neatly, a defeat is a defeat. I did not need to inform myself once more, ki chalo, I a minimum of performed neatly. I spent numerous hours and days excited about this stuff. I used to be virtually slipping right into a state of despair with those consistent ideas,” Das stated.
“Until at some point, once I stated: bhad mein gaya yeh sab sochna. That day onwards, I selected to begin afresh. I simply saved it easy and were given again to doing what I do neatly. I sought after to go back to the level I knew I belonged.”
It would come via an upgradation procedure in his coaching—Das educated in other places (Shillong, Pune, Kolkata, and so on) over the past yr “in every weather, and for maximum output”—and, extra importantly, his mentality.
“Especially, log kya kahenge ya kya sochenge (what’s going to folks say or suppose). I noticed I should not be afflicted about what individuals are speaking about me, who’s supporting me, who isn’t, who’s with me, who isn’t. Now I’ve stopped excited about all this. When you are going via a coarse patch, folks do not perceive what is going at the back of that. They simply suppose: down ho gaya, khatam ho gaya (he’s down, he’s performed). That brings in numerous negativity with it. I noticed that I will have to now not be suffering from such folks and their ideas. I will be able to do what I’ve to do, in any case. I introduced that perspective trade in me, mentally upgraded myself,” Das stated.
Even even though he misplaced within the fourth around within the person tournament, Das stated he felt just right about his go back to the elite; along Tarundeep Rai and Dhiraj Bommadevara, the Indian workforce misplaced an in depth shoot-off to China within the ultimate for silver. Like the National Games gold remaining yr, it is every other little shot of self-belief that he’s on target. He is aware of the massive occasions covered up this yr—the World Championships, for one, which will probably be a qualifying tournament for the Paris Games—however needs to take it one step at a time. “I want to carry this confidence, and stay away from over-thinking,” he stated.
It is a routine theme in his chats with spouse and fellow archer Deepika Kumari. In December remaining yr, Deepika gave beginning to a child lady. Swinging again to taking pictures arrows quickly after, she may just now not make the Indian workforce for this yr’s key occasions, together with the postponed Asian Games, in the similar trials through which Das marked his go back. Yet, they make sure that such setbacks, to both one, don’t weigh too closely on them now. Parenthood has helped unencumber recent standpoint.
“Earlier, It was all about archery me, like there was nothing else in life. We spent 10-12 years of our life focussing on just one thing. And if the end result you had dreamed of doesn’t come, you feel: yaar, zindagi mein kya hi kiya (what did I do with my life). The personal life, the sacrifices all went to waste. Parenthood helped me find the balance. That archery is just one part of life, which will end one day, Das said. “But until the day I play, I will be able to give it my all. And extra importantly, revel in it.”