Assam archer Promila Daimary has been selected to participate in the upcoming Asian Games.
The listing of 21 year old archer in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Department of Sports) sponsored ‘NSDF Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme’ in the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) which is aimed with the objective of identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2020 Olympic Games has sparkled joy among the people of Udalguri along with the native villagers of Dahlahabi village of Khagrabari near Bhergaon in Udalguri from where she hails.
For archery, Rs. 11.48 Lakhs has been sanctioned for the purchase of equipment for three Compound archers- Trisha Deb, Rajat Chauhan and Jyothi Surekha Vennam- and Recurve archer Promila Daimary.
Her father Obiram Daimari who is a wage earner and mother Renubala Daimari who sells locally produced vegetables have expressed great hope from Promila for the upcoming Olympic Games 2020.
They have exhorted the state government and BTC authorities to extend their support for their daughter. “Promila have worked day and night. She used to cycle miles for pursuing coaching of archery in guidance of local coaches.”, said her mother, Renubala. She expressed resentment at the fact that not even a single people’s representative not even the local MLA visited them till date.
“She is a glaring example that poverty can never be an obstacle for talent.” said President of Khagrabari unit of All Bodo Students Union(ABSU).
Talking to Northeast Now over phone Promila said, “Olympics 2020 is a distant dream. I can’t say if I will get a chance to represent my nation in it.” She further stated that along with three other archers, I have also been selected for India’s Asian Games squad at the 18th Asian Games to be held in Jakarta Indonesia from 18 Aug to 2 Sep 2018.
Promila Daimary who has a world ranking of 15 in Archery has brought laurels to the nation by winning recurve gold at the Archery Asia Cup stage 1 in Bangkok Thailand. She was also in women’s recurve team with Ridhi and Sakshi Shitole who clinched bronze in Manila 2018 Asia Cup Stage 2. She has previously represented India in Womens Archery team in Mexico 2017 Hyundai World Archery Champions in Mexico-2017,Berlin 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup Stage 4 among other international championships.
She was also honoured by the United Brothers Club (UBC) as the most promising sportsperson at a function held at the NEDFi Haat auditorium on May 19,2017.
Promila was handed a cash award of Rs 50,000, donated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal which was contributed by the family members of Putu Saikia of Biswanath Chariali.