'This is the year which will change everything. I'm expecting at least two medals.'
Former World champion Dola Banerjee expects India’s archers to break their Olympics medal jinx at the Rio de Janeiro gathering from August 5 to 21.
Indian archers have had a good record in world archery, but an Olympic medal has eluded them.
Dola expects at least two medals from the discipline at next month's sporting extravaganza.
The Indian women's archery team featuring Dola came closest to winning an Olympic medal with a quarter-finals finish at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.
"This is the year which will change everything. I'm expecting at least two medals," the two-time Olympian said.
"We have seen how shooting's landscape has changed after their first medal," she added, drawing a parallel with shooting, from which Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won a silver medal in double trap at Athens in 2004.
Then Abhinav Bindra went a step further to earn the country its first-ever Olympic individual gold in Beijing, and the rest is history.
The shooting contingent is again the biggest hope for India at Rio.
"An Olympic medal will give archery a massive boost. Parents won't hesitate in sending their wards to take up archery. There will be more support," Dola said.
In fact, India were primed to win a medal at the London Games four years back when Deepika Kumari went to the event as the world No 1 along with the women's team.
The men's team was ranked four and everyone expected them to win at least three medals, but it was not to be.
"Viral fever took a toll on most of the archers. Deepika was sick when she left while others, including the entire men's team, followed suit and were bed ridden. There was little time to recover," Dola said.
"Everything went haywire. The conditions were very cold and it was very difficult to shoot," the Railway employee, who went there as an observer added.
Once bitten, the archers this time are doubly cautious and have landed in Rio about a month in advance and are training in Marica, about 50kms southeast of Rio.
"The conditions are quite similar to that of in Bengaluru and they are shooting really well. I don't see any reason why they won't win a medal. I'm just eagerly waiting to see that breakthrough moment."
Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi Laishram and Laxmirani Majhi will represent India at the Games. The trio will participate in the individual and team events.
They earned a quota place for the nation after beating Germany in a round-of-16 match at the World Archery Championship in Copenhagen in July 2015.
