I need to get better technically and mentally for Paris 2024, says archer B. Dhiraj Premium

22-yr-old B. Dhiraj secured India's first quota place for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He displayed potential, winning six medals & learning a lot. He beat tough opponents, gained exposure & improved his game. He overcame a shocking incident at the Asian Games & is now raring to prove his worth in Paris.

The year 2023 has been a breakthrough season for the 22-year-old B. Dhiraj, who secured the country’s first quota place in archery for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Vijaywada archer displayed his potential, securing six medals (individual and team events) apart from winning a slot in the Games. He is raring to prove his worth in the French capital in less than a year’s time.

Hailing from a humble background, Dhiraj, who took up archery in 2006 after being guided by his father Shravan Kumar (who later worked as a technical official with the Archery Association of India) and learnt the basics of the sport at the Chekuri Volga Academy before switching to the Army Sports Institute (Pune) in 2017, has taken his time to develop into a world-class archer and is waiting to make a mark.

In an interview with The Hindu, Dhiraj, supported by Olympic Gold Quest, looked back at the fruitful year and the challenges ahead.

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Q: It must have been a proud moment to earn the first quota place for the country in archery. You have been very consistent in 2023. How do you look back at it?

A: Yes, I have performed consistently well this year even though there were some ups and downs. I got to learn a lot of things throughout the year. I am happy that I have achieved the main target of winning a quota place for the country, but at the same time, I am a bit upset that I lost in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games. In the Asian championships, we lost by one point (in a shoot-off) to Kazakhstan (in the men’s team event quarterfinals). But the quota place makes up for everything and underlines the hard work.

Q: You said you learnt a lot this year. What have you learnt from your experience and how will this help you work on your game and improve it?