'This Will Be My Last Olympics Most Probably': Deepika Kumari On 2028 Edition In Los Angeles
Indian archery legend Deepika Kumari feels it's a do-or-die situation for her looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the disappointment in Paris. The 31-year-old Padma Shri recipient stated she will give it her all leading upto LA28 in a last-ditch effort.
"I'm looking forward to it because this will be my last Olympics most probably. I'll put in my absolute best efforts and rectify the mistakes from the last time around. It's a do-or-die kind of situation for me and so I want to give my best. It's difficult now because I have a family but I'm trying my best to balance the two," Deepika said, on the sidelines of the Reliance Foundation's Olympic Day celebration at the Reliance Foundation School in Koparkhairane.
Deepika had recently bagged a bronze medal at the Archery World Cup in Shanghai and felt she was in good nick.
"Things are going very well actually. So, I'm working on many things. This year has gone very well for me both mentally and physically. Out of 100 percent, about seven percent I'm able to do things and working on it. Definitely, it will get better going forward."
The Ranchi-born archer revealed a few technical areas she was working on after the Paris Olympics.
"Technically, I'm working on my shoulders a lot and also on my release. I've worked more on my mental side because I feel there is some lacking in that area for me. I focus more on that aspect in the big and small tournaments."
"We have to find a balance between the mental and physical" - Deepika Kumari on workload management
Talking about some of the biggest moments in her over 15-year long career, Deepika pointed out a few.
"For an athlete, the Olympics is everything. But, apart from that gold medal in 2009 Sub-Junior World Championships. It's special because it is my first medal. Apart from that, Asian Games bronze medal in 2010 is memorable for me. I used to go with the flow in the World Cups. The Commonwealth Games gold medals in 2010 in Delhi are also memorable," she added.
Deepika also emphasised on the importance of rest to succeed in archery.
"We have to find a balance between the mental and physical. On one hand we have to exert yourself physically as required and at the same time, keep yourself calm. So when we focus a lot, our mind becomes tired, so it's important to forget archery sometimes and relax the mind and body. We can avoid some injuries that are part and parcel of our life so that the body can rest."
Deepika unwinds by listening to music and spending time with family apart from sleep. She had some sound advice for young archers aspiring big as well.
"Archery is a game that needs a lot of patience. Success comes gradually and I feel the generation today don't have so much of patience is what I feel. So, it's important to give yourself some time and mentally train yourself in that regard. It's like a routine like having food and self belief is extremely important. I would say give more time to yourself and less to social media.
news