Archers Dheeraj, Ganesh accorded warm welcome

Vijayawada: International archers Bommadevara Dheeraj and T Ganesh Maniratnam, who won medals at the Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4 received a warm welcome at Vijayawada International Airport in Gannavaram on Tuesday. Officials of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), Andhra Pradesh Archery Association (APAA), national and State-level archers and the parents of the medal winners were present at the airport to receive the duo. SAAP Encouragement Wing Sports Officer L Venkata Ramana, NTR District Sports Development Officer Kakarla Koteswara Rao and APAA Chairman Cherukuri Satyanarayana felicitated Dheeraj and Ganesh.

Dheeraj secured a gold medal at the World Cup and won two silver medals at the Asian Games in the recurve team and mixed events. Ganesh clinched gold in the compound team event and a bronze medal in the individual compound event. Ministers for Housing and Information & Public Relations Kolusu Parthasarathy and Revenue, Stamps & Registration Anagani Satya Prasad also congratulated the archers while they were leaving Vijayawada for their respective district tours.

Speaking on the occasion, Dheeraj said he was aiming to win a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and had been undergoing rigorous training to achieve the goal.

He said the upcoming World Championships would be an important opportunity to perform well and strengthen his prospects of securing an Olympic berth.

Dheeraj expressed gratitude to his parents and APAA Chairman Cherukuri Satyanarayana for their constant encouragement and support, saying it had played an important role in his international achievements. He also thanked the State government for its continued support to sportspersons and archery. Ganesh said he was targeting a berth in the 2028 Olympics, particularly through the mixed event, and had intensified his training.

Former Nuzvid AMC Chairman Kapa Srinivasa Rao, APAA Vice-Presidents Bommadevara Sravan Kumar and Gottipati Prem Kumar, Joint Secretary and SRR and CVR Government Degree College Physical Director MD Amzad Ali, Krishna District Archery Association Vice-President Mandava Rajya Lakshmi, retired Physical Director Mandava Koteswara Rao, Guntur Volga Archery Academy in-charge Venkat Kakani, Dheeraj’s mother Revathi, Ganesh Maniratnam’s father Hariprasad, and archers from Acharya Nagarjuna University and Nuzvid Academy were present.

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The Hans India