Mom, coach, strategist: Purnima Mahato prepares archers for Paris Olympics

'Medal layenge, medal layenge yeh baat tum dimaag se nikal do (a medal will never come if you chase after a medal, just focus on the processes)'

Purnima Mahato didn't even know when her son Siddharth and daughter Archisa turned 17 and 10 as she would often feel guilty of being a perennially absentee mother.

But in her three-decade career as an archery coach, the myriad desire to see one of her wards stand on the Olympic podium allowed her to make sacrifices and also demand a bit of it from her children.

"We have everything but an Olympic medal. Archery has become life for me. My children grew up on their own and I didn't even realise," the Dronacharya Awardee coach told PTI in an exclusive interaction.

"I hardly got to spend any time back home all these years with my kids. I left my son (Siddharth) at home when he was not even a year old. He is now all grown up and 17 years old, preparing for his 12th standard board exams. My daughter (Archisa) is 10 years old. It seems they have sacrificed way more than me for this Olympic medal," she gets a touch emotional.

She has not even stayed at home for a week in 2024.

"I went home for four days this year busy with the trials and camp, this has been the story so far. We have got all the medals but the Olympic medal is still a work in progress," she rued.

Better equipped to keep emotions under check

The heartbreak of missing the 'Inner 10' when it matters is way too familiar a feeling for Purnima, who is again in charge of the women's team at the Paris Games where she wants veteran Deepika Kumari and her compatriots to focus on process rather than thinking about the end result.

"Medal layenge, medal layenge yeh baat tum dimaag se nikal do (a medal will never come if you chase after a medal, just focus on the processes)," she has told the trio of Deepika, Ankita Bhakat and Bhajan Kaur.

"They are now better placed to control their emotions and overcome the nervousness in big matches. It's (an Olympic medal) just a matter of time now."

A CWG medallist, Mahato took up coaching at Tata Academy after leaving the sport in late 90s. She first coached the national team in an Olympics during the Beijing edition where Dola Banerjee and V Praneetha were part of the squad.

It was a 10-team draw and India got a bye to quarters as they needed to win two matches for their maiden Olympic medal.

They were pitted against China, where they lost by big five-point margin and their story of heartbreaks continued since then.

Every time the Olympic approaches, the expectation reaches its peak for the archers. And this time, it is no different.

The women's team, who finished the Olympic cycle as World No. 8, topped the rankings among the non-qualified nations to earn the team quota.

The men also made it on rankings by finishing the Olympic cycle as world No. 2.

Paris, as a venue, has also been lucky for the Indian team.

The women's team had won a silver and bronze medal in the World Cup Stage 3 in 2022 and 2023 in Paris, while senior archer Deepika Kumari has an individual gold here from World Cup Stage 3 in 2021.

"The Koreans and the Chinese also have hearts that beat faster but they know how to control it by being mentally strong," Mahato said.

"It's about following the process, stay engaged and relaxed without looking at scoring a perfect 10."

"I don't want them to focus on the opponent's team, it's about keeping the atmosphere relaxed, by humming a song or focusing on the breath when your turn comes," she said.

Strategy and Code Words

In the team event, Ankita will shoot first followed by Bhajan while Deepika with all her experience has the responsibility to play the role of the finisher.

"Whenever one archer goes to the shooting line, the other has the job to keep the mood light by using their respective code words," Mahato said.

This time the women's coach has the added responsibility after being awarded the Padma Shri three months back.

"It's not a burden but an added responsibility, whenever you get a recognition you have an extra responsibility. I've been coaching for the last 28 years now and our players also do well but never got a medal."

"But everyone in this team comes into the Olympics after doing well in the World Cups held during the current Games cycle. We have medals across all categories," she signed off.