It is a nice feeling to win medals for the country: Surekha
Hyderabad: On the field, Vennam Jyothi Surekha spews fire and brimstone but off the field she is soft as velvet and has a very unassuming demeanour. Her rich collection of 38 international medals is an amazing testimony of her hunger and desire to win. Fresh from her stunning show in the 22nd Asian Archery Championship […]
Hyderabad: On the field, Vennam Jyothi Surekha spews fire and brimstone but off the field she is soft as velvet and has a very unassuming demeanour. Her rich collection of 38 international medals is an amazing testimony of her hunger and desire to win. Fresh from her stunning show in the 22nd Asian Archery Championship in Bangladesh where she won an individual gold and team silver, this Telugu archer who is from Vijayawada has proved her mettle in no uncertain terms.
The 25-year-old Surekha defeated two Koreans on her way to the gold medal. She beat Oh Yoohyun 146-145 in a thrilling women’s final. She won the mixed team silver with Rishabh Yadav by losing to Korea in the finals with the score of 154-155. This was her sixth Asian Championship and she has won 10 medals (4 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze) till date.
This performance comes after her fine show in the World Archery Championship where she became the first Indian to capture three silver medals held in South Dakota, USA, in September. “It is a nice feeling to win medals for the country. I feel proud to represent my country and win the medals. That I could win medals in the World Championship and now in the Asian Championship gives me immense satisfaction,” she said.
On missing the target with her last arrow, Surekha said she never felt any nervousness. “I was cool but I was a little late while releasing the arrow and it went a little wide. I did not see my arrow but was waiting for the announcement. But when the judges declared that I had won, I was a little shocked but I recovered quickly to enjoy my success. It was a tight game though. In fact, I never feel nervous in any big event. That has helped me a lot in big events. I missed the gold in the mixed event by one point,” she said.
Surekha said she is preparing for next year’s World Cups, scheduled from April, World Games and then Asian Games. “For compound archers, Asian Games is a big event as it is not a discipline in the Olympics.”
Do you have regrets of compound events not being a discipline in Olympics, Surekha said she is helpless on this issue. “I participate in all the compound events wherever possible. The World Archery Federation has been making efforts to include the Compound event in Olympics.”
This Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) archer said Koreans are fierce competitors. “They always give a tough fight and the medal is decided at the last arrow. I have been lucky to beat them and that gives me a lot of satisfaction.”
Surekha pointed out she learnt to be mentally tough looking at the parents’ struggle and their ups and downs. “Despite all the struggles, they always have a smile and never lose their cool. They advise me to be strong while facing any difficult situations. May be that has helped me to be strong mentally.”
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