‘Mental pressure blocking Olympic medals’: Rahul Banerjee on India’s hopes in archery

NEW DELHI: When it comes to Indian archery, Rahul Banerjee is a name that has long commanded respect. A seasoned campaigner and Olympian, Banerjee, who represented India at the 2012 London Olympics has now transitioned seamlessly into shaping the next generation of elite archers.

Archery, it seems, runs in Rahul’s family. His sister, Dola Banerjee, is a decorated international archer, and together they have represented the nation at the top level for a number of years. But the recurve archer’s journey has taken a decisive turn, from chasing medals to building minds.

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The defining moment of his competitive career came at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, where he became the first Indian archer to clinch a gold medal at the event. Years later, the focus has shifted from personal glory to giving back. Now coaching some of India’s finest, Banerjee is intent on addressing what he believes is the final hurdle for Indian archery on the global stage.

“Archery is a mental game,” Banerjee said, as he kept an eye on Deepika Kumari’s performance at the National Ranking Archery Championship last week, which was a crucial event for Deepika and her coach Rahul as they look to fine tune ahead of the upcoming Asian Games qualification event. “At the level Indian archery is today, the only thing stopping us from winning bigger medals, like at the Olympics, is mental pressure.”

For Banerjee, the solution lies not just in technique but in clarity of process. “It’s easy to say ‘mental training’, but what does that mean? First, we must know exactly what our shooting form is, what we need to execute. That’s where we started by refining the basics.”

His methods reflect a modern, holistic approach. Meditation, visualization, breathing techniques, and even reading during training sessions have become part of the routine.

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