On Friday morning, Shantanu Bhakat was busy delivering milk packets in the Khatipura area of Kolkata, while his daughter Ankita was celebrating a significant achievement in archery. Despite being on the job, Shantanu kept track of her progress via his mobile phone.
Ankita had confidently assured her father that her winnings from archery competitions would help support the family, suggesting he could afford to reduce his early morning routine. Nevertheless, Shantanu continued to rise at 4 a.m. for his deliveries.
Reflecting on their journey, Shantanu shared how challenging it had been financially when Ankita began her archery career. He often had to seek assistance from his four brothers to cover the costs of her training and travel for competitions in various cities. There were times when he would take Ankita to practice sessions right after his milk deliveries, watching her eagerly prepare with her bow.
On that Friday, their hard work and sacrifices paid off when Ankita, along with teammates Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod, triumphed in the women’s team recurve archery event at the Asian Games, defeating a formidable opponent.
This victory marked India’s first gold medal in the Asian Games for the complex recurve bow category. The final match against South Korea ended in a dramatic 5-2 victory, with the Indian team tying in the fifth set after being tied 2-2 after the second set. The competition took place at the Okazaki Central Park Multipurpose Square in Japan.
The South Korean team included Olympic gold medalist and reigning world champion Kang Chae-young, along with Oh Ye-jin and Lee Yunji, who have dominated women’s team archery, notably winning their tenth consecutive Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a record that dates back to the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Ankita’s journey in archery began in 2006 during a local competition in Kolkata, and she was selected by the Tata Archery Academy in 2014.
Shantanu recounted their experiences, saying, “We have delivered milk to nearly 100 houses daily. Ankita was inspired to pursue archery after watching others train. I encouraged her to give her best in whatever she chose to do. I would often wake up at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for my deliveries, and Ankita would be ready with her bow and arrows for practice.”
Since joining the Tata Archery Academy, Ankita made her mark by reaching the finals at the national level in 2017 and later became the Khelo India champion in 2022, followed by winning a team bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Shantanu reminisced about Ankita’s first experiences with advanced archery equipment, such as the graphite and carbon bows, expressing pride in her aspirations of owning her own bow one day.
Despite coming close to winning an Olympic medal, finishing fourth in the recurve mixed team event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Ankita overcame that disappointment on Friday. At 28, she stood proudly on the podium, flanked by her younger teammates, 17-year-old Kumkum and 19-year-old Kirti.
Nitin Sharma serves as an Assistant Editor for the sports section of The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. He covers a wide range of sports, focusing on Olympic disciplines like shooting, boxing, wrestling, and athletics. Over his 17-year tenure, he has reported on events across India and has received multiple awards for his journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2017 and several Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity. Nitin is also passionate about quizzing and enjoys exploring new trekking routes in the mountains during his free time.
