Juyel to represent Junior India for the third time, says medals needed at the senior level to survive financially

This will be the third time he will be donning India shorts after Taiwan and Iraq including a team gold medal in Iraq.

The 17-year-old boy from a remote village in Maldaha, West Bengal named Dhoapara once again shot into the junior national recurve squad for the Asia Cup Stage-4 to be held in Singapore. This will be the third time he will be donning India shorts after Taiwan and Iraq including a team gold medal in Iraq. 

Still, Juyel Sarkar did not sound ecstatic while speaking to Parallel SportsRather he divulged saying, "I need to win international medals at the senior level. Then only I can be happy." Juyel is also aware of the reality as he explained, "Unless I am successful in the senior level I will not be able to survive financially. I have a long desire to have my own modern arrow and bows. Once I start getting international medals at the senior level I can get a job, even sponsorship." 

Juyel's father Nisham Sarkar is a farmer whose earning is not stable. The family living in a mud house has been struggling financially for a long. Juyel also did not have plans that he would make his career with archery. Rather he also used to help his father in farming. Following encouragement from his school teacher at Dhoapara, Juyel joined a local coaching camp in his village. Srimanta Chowdhury was the trainer there. Juyel made his arrow and bows of bamboo and learned the basics of the game. He was 12 years old and that time. 

Then in 2018, Juyel got admitted to the state archery academy in Jhargram. He was already spotted by Olympian Rahul Banerjee a year ago through a selection trial in North Bengal. Both Rahul and Dola Banerjee have been working as advisors of the Bengal Archery Academy run by state sports and youth affair ministry where 32 promising students including Juyel are being nurtured. The academy provides free of cost training, education, residential facilities as well as modern equipment along with nutrition for all the 32 students who are selected across the country through selection trial. It also has experienced coaches like Chandrashekhar Lagori, Barju Singh, and Subrata Das. Juyel, having paid gratitude towards them exclaimed, "I am also thankful to Rahul sir and Dola madam for their valuable advice and guidance which also has helped me to become mature." 

Rahul also had praise for Juyel commenting, "He was dedicated towards archery. Even he practiced alone hours after hours at Jhargram academy to master the technique." The distraction also came into Juyel's mind when during the pandemic and lockdown he returned to his home and was completely detached from archery. Even after coming back to the academy he did not seem willing to continue again. Following continuous motivation from the coaches Juyel again regained his touch. 

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