'India Working Hard To Secure Men's Recurve Team Quota For Paris Olympics': Dhiraj Bommadevara

Dhiraj Bommadevara, the only Indian recurve archer to have grabbed a quota place at the upcoming Paris Olympics, was part of a troika that scripted history at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai earlier this week. The Indian men's recurve team of Dhiraj, veteran Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Ramesh Jadhav defeated Korea in the title round to reclaim the recurve gold after 14 years. The last time Indian men won an archery World Cup gold medal was in Shanghai in 2010.

A beneficiary of the sports ministry's Target Olympic Podium Scheme, the 22-year-old from Vijayawada, Bommadevara won a second World Cup medal in Shanghai when he teamed up with Ankita Bhakat to win the bronze in the mixed team event. India drubbed Mexico in straight sets to win the medal.

In an interview with SAI Media, Bommadevara, who won a team silver at the Hangzhou Asian Games, talks about team bonding, a new belief, Paris Olympics and much more.

On clinching a historic gold after 14 years at the World Cup Stage:

We all feel very happy. The plan, the mindset we all had, got executed and we maintained that till the end.

On team's mindset during the final shootoff in men's recurve final against Korea:

Our mindset was to just focus on our game and not to focus on our opponents. We had a tunnel-vision focus. Be it in any situation, rain or wind, we wanted to keep the communication among us going. That we kept on till the end.

On men's recurve team bonding:

Tarun bhaiya (brother), Pravin and I - we three are from the Indian Army. So we stay and play together consistently. We know each other for long. The national camps also give us the opportunity to bolster this chemistry. From the beginning this bonding came naturally.

On being the youngest in