Akash’s silver caps best ever medal haul
MEDAL RUSH After archer’s final loss, India end campaign with 3 gold, 9 silver and one bronze in Youth Olympic Games
BUENOSAIRES: Akash Malik became India’s first silver-medallist in archery at the Youth Olympic Games, providing a fitting finale to the country’s best-ever campaign at the marquee event here.
The 15-year-old son of a farmer lost a one-sided final to Trenton Cowles of the USA 0-6 as India concluded with three gold, nine silver, and one bronze at the event that was launched in 2010.Seeded fifth after qualification, the Haryana boy was inconsistent in the summit clash against the 15th seed Cowles, who only shot in 10s and 9s to wrap it up easily on Wednesday night.
In the three-setter, both the archers shot four perfect 10s, but Akash’s two wayward 6s in the first and the third set proved to be the decisive factor. The summit clash was held under windy conditions following light rains.
“I have trained in the wind, but here it was too much. I was waiting for an opportunity but he (Cowles) was stronger and I had no chance,” Akash said.
“I feel good but I lost the gold medal,” the 11th standard schoolboy said after bettering Atul Verma’s feat of a bronze at the Nanjing edition of the Games in 2014.
Akash took up archery six years ago after Manjeet Malik, a physical-trainer-turned-archery-coach, picked him during a trial.“One day my friends took me to a field where I saw kids aiming at a target with arrows. Mujhe laga woh shikaar kar rahe hain (I thought they were hunting something),” Akash said.Akash, who used to play cricket with his friends, developed a fascination for the ‘new-found sport’.
Akash’s father Narender Malik, who is into wheat and cotton farming, never wanted his son to join him at the fields.
“Initially my parents dissuaded me as they wanted me to study to land up a government job.“But after I started winning medals they have started backing me fully. They must be very happy now,” Akash, who will return to India with the contingent on Sunday, said.