Deepika Kumari, who was raised in Ratu Chatti, a village 15 kilometres from Ranchi, is the daughter of an proud auto rickshaw driver and a nurse. She first experimented with archery when she used to throw stones in the direction of mangoes. She had to make do with makeshift bamboo bows and arrows because her parents couldn’t afford professional archery equipment.
Deepika’s story shows how someone from a less-than-privileged background may succeed with perseverance, unflinching confidence, and self-belief. She had the opportunity to learn at the Tata Archery Academy despite coming from a family that barely had three meals per day, which meant that she would always have access to food and shelter—a luxury at the time. After watching her cousin Vidya Kumari, a pupil at the institution, she decided to take up the sport. She received assistance from Vidya in developing her talent. She trained here using the proper gear and attire. They even provided her a 500 rupee allowance.
The second-highest athletic honour in India, the Arjuna Award, was given to Kumari in 2012. In 2016, she was also given the Padma Shri award. In 2014, Deepika received the FICCI Sportsperson of the Year Award. When she won the 2009 Cadet World Championship, she rose to fame in the archery community. In the same year, she triumphed at the 11th Youth World Archery Championship in Ogden, Utah. 2012 saw Deepika win a gold medal in the individual stage recurve event at the World Cup in Turkey.
She would go on to become the top woman in the world at recurve archery by the end of 2012. Subscribe to our special newsletters. Check out our well-liked newsletters by subscribing. She is now rated ninth in the world in the sport of archery and once held the top spot. In the women’s individual recurve competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Olympic Games, she took home a gold medal. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Kumari participated in the women’s individual and team competitions, where she placed eighth in the team competition.
“Dharmendra Tewari and Purnima Mahato are my two coaches, and they have been preparing me ever since I enrolled in the Tata Archery Academy. My coaches taught me how to handle life as well as how to shoot an arrow. For instance, when they educate us about confidence in archery, it also applies to my life. I was able to speak to strangers or perform in front of a crowd because to my confidence. In an interview with Scroll.in, she stated, “I naturally adapt all the lessons I learn as a sportsperson to my personal life.
Ladies First, a biographical film about her life, was published in 2017. The film was nominated for an Oscar in the Short Documentary category and also won an award at the London Independent Film Festival. Even though she was offered a movie role, she declined it since she knew it would conflict with her ambitions for archery. “I realised I would lose concentration on archery if I entered the world of film. It was a crucial year, and I was determined to change the course of my sporting career. I ultimately declined the offer, she continued.
“As a result, playing and performing are not difficult. However, there are occasions when I am not able to work effectively. That influences how people view me. Either they become hostile or they stop speaking to me. They criticise my work and claim that I am not trying hard enough or paying attention. They claim that I can’t focus, which is why my performance is suffering. They begin to doubt and question my ability to win medals once more. They fail to recognise that this is a sport and that no one person can consistently perform at a high level or win every time. Deepika muses on her shortcomings.
