Rain and hail disrupt preparations ahead of National archery championships in Shillong

Rain and a hailstorm on the eve of the National archery championships in Shillong disrupted preparations as a number of leading Indian archers converged for the tournament, which starts on Thursday.

Organisers worked to ready the Parade Ground after water accumulated between the shooting line and some targets, with staff scrambling to clear the site. Archery Association of Meghalaya secretary Robinson Ryntathiang said: “For the National Games, it is a test event in terms of the conduct of the competition and logistics.”

Several high-profile names are entered for the Nationals, including Asian Games medallists Kumkum Mohod, Chikitha Taniparthi, B. Dhiraj and Sahil Jadhav. The report lists recurve archers Kumkum, Dhiraj, Ankita Bhakat and Neeraj Chauhan among those expected to continue their good form, alongside compound competitors Sahil, Chikitha and Kushal Dalal.

Experienced campaigners Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das, Abhishek Verma and Ojas Deotale are also competing, aiming to regain sharpness ahead of the 2027 calendar, comprising the World championships – a major Olympic qualifying event.

The article describes Kumkum Mohod as the “golden girl” who broke the Korean stranglehold on the Asian Games, and reports her coach offering measured advice. “For Kumkum, the target is to focus on the process and give her best,” said Kumkum’s personal coach, Praful Dange.

Abhishek Verma commented on the domestic challenge and his preparation, saying: “Junior archers have come up in a big way. I got enough time to polish myself, and this is a platform to see how far I have come,” he said.

Notable absentees from the Nationals include Aditi Swami, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru and Prithika Pradeep, who will miss the event as they compete in the Asia Cup Stage-3 in Hangzhou, China.

The National archery championships begin on Thursday in Shillong, and the top eight finishers in each category will qualify for the National Games.