With over half his life spent on the international archery circuit, Tarundeep Rai has entered his 40s with a wealth of experience. As he prepares for his fourth Olympic Games at Paris 2024, Rai has a clear understanding of what it takes to perform at the highest level. His focus isn’t solely on winning a medal, but on delivering his best performance. Rai, a veteran of the 2004 Olympics, has become an unofficial mentor to his Indian teammates, B. Dhiraj and Pravin Jadhav, who together form the men’s team heading to Paris. Despite the individual nature of archery, the trio has cultivated a strong team spirit. “It’s not about an individual, it’s about the team,” Rai emphasizes.
Years of experience have taught him the importance of focusing on the process. “We are working on getting the best version of ourselves that day. When the medal comes to the mind, then the problem starts somewhere. I have contacted many foreign athletes to know what they think and how they prepare…,” Rai explains. The key, he believes, lies in approaching the competition with a clear objective: “It is all about how you took the competition. Did you compete with medals in mind? Or did you want to show your best version there?”
Rai, whose contemporaries have transitioned into coaching roles, elaborates on his pursuit of an Olympic medal. “Getting a medal will be the ultimate satisfaction of my career. The mistakes I made, because of which I did not get the medal, whatever it is — be it stress, tension or thinking about the medal — I am not letting that happen this time. I tell myself that I don’t want to take a big mountain on my head. I want to compete freely and win the best tournament of my life, the best Olympics,” he says, expressing gratitude to his family for their unwavering support.
The year has been a particularly successful one for Rai and his teammates. “It has been the best year so far. In the beginning, we won the Asia Cup first leg gold medal. In the World Cup Stage 1, we won the gold medal (beating powerhouse Korea). In the next two World Cup stages, we performed very well. We got good scores even though we could not win medals. We were able to achieve our goal. It is all a milestone for us. We are 100 per cent on the right track,” Rai asserts confidently. Their momentum and dedication are setting the stage for a strong performance in Paris.
