Not long ago, V. Jyothi Surekha — who has made the nation proud with a rare treble of gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games — had considered quitting the sport. She was disheartened by the lack of recognition she felt was due.
But, thanks to her parents, V. Surendra Kumar and Sri Durga, Surekha decided to have another go in the circuit this year, including the Asian Games, and make a point to her critics.
For the record, World No. 4 Surekha, an engineer and MBA graduate, won the team gold and individual bronze in the World championship and individual gold and mixed team gold in the World Cup Stage I this year.
“She was terribly disappointed when she did not get the Khel Ratna Award despite being a strong contender for two consecutive years,” her father said. “There is no doubt, we are thankful to the Sports Authority of India for the excellent support system for her training and exposure,” he said.
But, it has been a remarkable journey that began at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium, Vijayawada, when she was just 12, under the tutelage of Rama Rao of Railways.
“She was into swimming first. But, we thought she may not make it big in the sport, so we shifted her to archery. Shooting was also an option then,” recalled a proud Surendra.
At 15, Surekha represented India in the Asian championship and won a bronze.
Like for all traditional families, it was not easy for Surekha’s parents to let her pursue her passion, but there was never a moment when she was discouraged for any reason.
“Once we put her in the sport, Surekha just did not bother about anything else. It was just archery, archery and nothing else,” said her father.
A visibly elated mother Sri Durga said her daughter left home for the national camp en route to the Asiad, reminding herself that she would be targetting a hattrick of gold medals.
“Aiming for such a feat is one thing and achieving it is something else. I am really proud of my daughter for obvious reasons. Her strength has always been to stay focused,” Sri Durga said.
The Andhra Pradesh Government would be awarding ₹30 lakhs for each gold medal that Surekha wins, as per the existing sports policy, even as some States like Haryana are giving ₹3 crore for similar feats.
For now, the jubilant parents of Surekha are basking in the glory of what has been a stunning feat by the archer in the Asian Games after their daily rituals of offering prayers at the three temples in Vijayawada of Lord Vigneswara, Anjaneya Swamy and Laxminarasimha.
