Gangtok: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay on Friday laid the foundation stone for an archery academy at Lower Karmang in Namchi district. The academy has been named after state’s Olympian archer Padmashri Tarundeep Rai.
Tarundeep Rai, a three-time Olympian archer, was conferred with the Padma Shree Award by President of India Ramnath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi in 2021. Hailing from Purano Namchi in South Sikkim, Tarundeep received Arjuna Award in 2005.
Rai is the first Indian to win an individual men’s silver medal in archery at the 16th Asian Games in 2010 in China and a silver medal in 2010 Delhi Commonwealth and 16th Asian games 2010. Olympian archer Tarundeep Rai at present holds the post of Subedar in the Indian Army.
The archery academy, with an estimated cost of Rs 30.400 crore, will be constructed on a spacious 2.461-hectare plot of land, featuring a built-up area of 58,549 square feet. Divided into three blocks, the academy will have the capacity to accommodate up to 60 trainees at a time. Milan Kumari Pradhan, the Chief Engineer of the Sikkim Sports Department, informed that the academy will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and all the necessary facilities essential for comprehensive archery training.
The stone-laying ceremony was attended by archer Tarundeep Rai and World Cup champion Deepika Kumari.
Speaking during the event, Golay said, “I want to congratulate Tarundeep Rai as an academy is being constructed in his name. I wish him luck for all his future tournaments for which he is undergoing training. The academy will provide trainings to all the upcoming archers from the state. Sikkim has a tradition of organising state- level archery tournaments in every part of the state. We are hopeful that all archery enthusiasts get a chance to train themselves in the academy, which will be equipped with all the latest facilities.”
Thanking the state government for the initiative, Rai said, “It is a matter of immense respect for an individual when an academy is named after him. It is an honour for all my accomplishments. I assure that the academy will provide proper guidance and training to all the archery enthusiasts of the state so that they can compete at national and international levels.”
The Olympian archer stated, “There is no shortage of talents in the state. But there is definitely shortage of infrastructure to train the budding archers. But now the archers will get a platform to train themselves in a better way in the academy.”
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Archery is a traditional sport in Sikkim and has been around here for hundreds of years. “To preserve the traditional practice is my responsibility and that of every archer but at the same time modern archery also needs to grow as it is an Olympic sport. I hope the trained players from Sikkim will be able to represent the country and the state at both national and international events,” he added.
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