Nagpur: The Second Capital of the State erupted in pride and celebration as local hero Ojas Pravin Deotale, along with Abhishek Verma, stormed into the finals of the men’s archery event at the Asian Games 2023 in China. This assured India of at least one Gold and one Silver medal in the competition.
In a spectacular display of precision and skill, Ojas Pravin clinched victory in the semifinals with a flawless score of 150 against Korea’s Jaewoon Yang. This extraordinary feat mirrored his exceptional performance in the quarterfinals, where he achieved another perfect 150 against Kazakhstan’s Akbarali Karabayev.
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Thursday 07 Nov. 2024
Ojas’s back-to-back perfect scores not only secured his place in the final but also set the stage for an all-Indian faceoff with compatriot Abhishek Verma. Abhishek, in a nail-biting match, emerged victorious against Kazakhstan’s Andrey Tyuntyun with a score of 147-147, ultimately securing a shoot-off win.
Ojas Deotale’s journey into archery began in a humble fashion, as a young boy fashioning bows and arrows from broom handles, leading to his mother’s frequent purchases of extra brooms. Prior to discovering archery, he excelled in rollerskating, earning medals at the Maharashtra state level.
In 2015, at the age of 13, Ojas encountered archery during a summer camp. Recognizing his potential, his parents enrolled him in the archery academy at Trimurti Nagar, Nagpur, under the guidance of Satyajeet Yelne. Starting with the Indian bow, Ojas later transitioned to recurve. Moving to the Tajbagh academy due to the lack of a target buttress at Trimurti Nagar, he honed his skills over three to four years.
Ojas completed his secondary schooling at Siddhivinayak School in Gumgaon, Nagpur. During the initial COVID-19 lockdown, he creatively overcame travel restrictions by staying at his alma mater, where his father had installed a target buttress for him to practice. Supported by the kind efforts of a school worker named Chaya Rakshak, who delivered his meals, Ojas commenced his daily training regimen at 5 AM, incorporating yoga and meditation.
Facing another lockdown in 2021, Ojas initially rented a room near the Tajbagh academy. However, he eventually returned to his solitude at Siddhivinayak School to continue his dedicated training.
In July 2022, Ojas relocated to Satara to train at the Drushti Archery Academy, under the guidance of his current coach, Pravin Sawant. His dedication and talent were further highlighted during the Indian Junior team selection in Sonipat, where he shattered the Junior World Record, previously held by Mike Schloesser since 2014.
December 2022 marked Ojas’s debut for the senior Indian team, where he secured an individual silver and contributed to the team’s gold in the men’s compound event. Despite a leg fracture sustained in an accident in Pune, Ojas’s determination and resilience shone through, as he successfully passed the fitness test.
Nagpur, already bursting with pride, now eagerly anticipates the epic clash between its very own Ojas and Abhishek in the Asian Games archery finals, a moment that promises to etch their names in Indian sporting history.
