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Even though Indian archers failed to provide any medal from the London Olympics, inspite of being tipped to make podium finishes, the IAF is reportedly focused on promoting and developing the sport discipline with particular emphasis on the country's eastern region and tribal areas.
According to an informed source, the IAF has already begun the hunt for young, potential archers who would train at its newly established 'centre of excellence' and nodal centre for archery, in Shillong.
Named 'Eklavya' after the fabled archer of the Mahabharata epic, the IAF nodal centre built in the precincts of HQ Eastern Air Command, Shillong, has an open-range built to international specifications.
It is also equipped with the latest sophisticated archery equipment to match, said the source.
IAF archers, Flt Lt Ghanshyam and two others, are currently training at the centre with the facility also made available to young boys and girls from Meghalaya where traditional archery with hand-strung bows is hugely popular.
Hoping to form a team of eight archers, the IAF recently held trials in Delhi for selecting potential archers but only one from Jharkhand, out the 15 tested, qualified the stringent tests.
The archers tested are said to have had all participated at some national level competition but had to prove their mettle on the day of the test.
"We may consider our future selection trials in the eastern region and the tribal areas," the source quoted Air Force Sports Control Board (AFSCB), Secretary, Wg Cdr VN Singh as saying.
"We may be able to get the more talented archers from these areas," Singh said.
Archery is among the latest additions to the existing list of 28 sports discipline participated by IAF, added the source.
Defence News - Archery On Indian Air Force Radar