CHENNAI: Istanbul 2011, Tokyo 2012, Paris 2013 and now Mexico City 2015 – Deepika Kumari can’t seem to catch a break! Despite much promise, the recurve archer’s dreams of winning her maiden World Cup Final gold medal were dashed yet again on Sunday. The Ranchi lass collected the fourth such silver of her career in a 2-6 loss to 19-year-old Choi Misun, the World No 1 from South Korea.
The 21-year-old, who failed to qualify last year, was in fine form as she pipped Japan’s Kaori Kawanaka in the quarterfinals and Le Chien-Ying of Chinese Taipei in the semifinals by the identical score of 6-4. But, as in years past, the final hurdle stayed insurmountable. “I’m quite disappointed because gold is what I was aiming for. It just doesn’t seem to come my way. However, I believe I can win it one day — there’s no reason to believe otherwise. Until then, silver will have to do,” she told Express.
It’s funny how perspective changes the way one looks at things. Finishing runner-up is a fine feat, except for a former champion… or even a four-time silver medallist. It’s more of a bittersweet moment then; an invisible barrier preventing someone from achieving what they deserve.
Lokesh Pal, mentor to compound silver medallist Abhishek Verma, was one of Deepika’s first coaches when she debuted in 2008. He feels that although her preparation was perfect, the reality of having lost a similar final before comes back to haunt competitors from time to time. “It was a tough loss. Fortune doesn’t always favour the brave, sometimes steadiness is the key ingredient. There’s no need to feel too sorry as Deepika was going great guns, but Choi is No 1 for a reason,” he opined.
Was there no silver-lining (pun intended) for Deepika then? “Luckily, I found an Indian restaurant and packed some paranthas for her. Hopefully that’ll cheer her up a little,” Lokesh added.
Overall, with two silver medals, this is India’s best performance at the annual top-eight event. Add to that, there was a lot of love for the dynamic duo from the fans. That’s always a great place to start… or finish. Lokesh agrees in a heartbeat. “One constant was the fan support. They fell in love with Abhi and Deepika. It was one of the nicest sights.”
