Dimapur, March 30 (EMN): Despite failing to win any medals at the 41st NTPC Senior National Archery Championship in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), six archers from Nagaland qualified for the upcoming Goa National Games, scheduled to be held in November this year.
A total of 18 archers from Nagaland took part at the 41st championship in Indian Round, Recurve and Compound division.
Edikuno Rikha and Nikesa Sakhrie entered the 1/16 in individual elimination round to qualify for the national games and men’s team for Indian Round namely Nukho Lohe, Pradeep, KK Singh and Rumbahadur Thapa entered the 1/4 to qualify for the national games.
In 70 metres (women), Rikha was ranked in the top-17 for recurve division, while Sakhrie was ranked 32 for 50 metres (women) compound division.
The team was led by Hunezo Thisa, jr. state archery coach as manager and Chekrovolu Swuro, Olympian and Arjuna awardee as the team coach.
Swuro expressed her joy with the performance of the state archers in the national championship adding that the team had fared much better compared to the previous years. She said the selected archers now have medal prospects as they have more than six months of training until the national games begin and hoped that the archers will give their best and train harder to bring medals for the state.
Team manager, Thisa acknowledged the department of Youth Resources and Sports for giving the opportunity to the archers to get exposure in the national competition.
The championship was organised by Archery Association of J&K under the aegis of Archery Association of India and J&K Sports Council. A total of 1015 participants from 42 teams from different States/UT/Boards of the country including international archers participated in the championship.
