Kolkata, Nov 23 (PTI) In pursuit of an elusive Olympic medal for India in archery, power couple Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das have left their 11-month-old daughter behind to find lost form and hone their skills under the legendary coach Kim Hyung-Tak, at a South Korean countryside.

The duo, who have struggled to find their mojo since the Tokyo Olympics, have been camping at the Hyung-Tak Archery Training Centre at Goesan Gun in Chungbuk province in freezing cold conditions since November 11. The aim is to iron out their flaws in one final push before next year’s Olympics.

Having embraced motherhood in December last year, the former world No 1 and three-time Olympian Deepika is struggling to return to the Indian team.

But even though she has gone through an upheaval, Deepika has not lost form completely. Upon her return at the Goa National Games earlier this month, she secured two gold medals and one team silver.

The two-time Olympian Atanu, who won a team silver at the Asian Games last month, has been in and out of the Indian team and recently failed to qualify for the Olympic-qualifying Asian Championships in Bangkok.

The competition has also become stiff with the rise of young crop, including Army youngster Dhiraj Bommadevara, who bagged the solitary Olympic quota for Paris 2024.

But for the power-couple who once reigned the Indian archery, it is now or never, and they are not ready to give up just yet.

“Abhi bhi Olympic medal ko leke ek bhookh aur lalach hai (The hunger and desire to win the elusive Olympic medal is very much intact,” Deepika, who has won every world title except an Olympics medal, told

Source: PTI News