Olympian and Arjuna Awardee Dola Banerjee, who was in attendance at Khelo India School Games to meet the sports minister Rajyavardhan Rathore along with other elite players, said that the path-breaking concept will not only help archery but also stimulate the growth of Indian sports in entirety.
“Since Khelo India is spotting the talent at the school level, I feel, not just archery but sports as a whole will pick up popularity. KISG will act as a catalyst for schools to introduce sports as an activity in timetables. Sports in schools have never been a priority and KISG will have a direct impact on such decisions. The scholarship amount will also play a key role in changing the mindsets”, she opined.
Expressing her delight to see aspiring sportspersons receive support in the beginning of their career, Dola Banerjee said that she’s waiting for the day Indian archery makes a mark at the Olympic Games.
“It’s a good thing that the support for young athletes is pouring in from all the sides these days and this will help them save time on their achievements as well. An Olympic medal has the power to change the fate of a sportsperson as well as the perception about the game. We have achieved medals in almost every prestigious international archery events except Olympics.”
Dola Banerjee, who took to sport at the age of nine, believes there is an initial inhibition for Archery due to its high investment cost but that too, seems to be changing.
“A beginner has to invest anywhere around Rs. 50,000 to 60,000 and that itself pushes the young aspirants away. But these days, I am very happy to see the parents take interest and come forward for archery like never before”, she shared.
“We lack good infrastructure and informed the same to our sports minister. He has assured us of support and that will help us take tiny but significant steps towards changing the face of the game”, she added.
In initial days of her career, Dola Banerjee could barely meet the expenses to keep her dream of becoming a world champion alive. From taking up a job to support her father to winning Arjuna Award for her exceptional achievements, she has come a long way and now, she wants to give it back to the society by launching her training centre in Kolkata.
“We are opening our academy in 3-4 months. It will be based out of Kolkata and will be named after me and my brother, Rahul Banerjee, who’s also an archer.”