Jaipur: In the women’s recurve final at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) Rajasthan 2025, Anshika Kumari faced a tough moment after a poor second set against Srishti Jaiswal. Many athletes might falter under such pressure, but the Lovely Professional University archer kept smiling, reset her focus, and came back strongly to win the next two sets and secure the gold medal.
The 23-year-old says this shift in attitude has been central to her steady rise in the past year. “Earlier, I used to laugh after every lost match thinking it just wasn’t my day. What’s the worst that can happen? Focus on the next one,” she told SAI Media. “At the end of the day, it’s about concentrating on the present, one arrow at a time, and laughing off the stress. That’s what I did today.”
Reflecting on the difficult second set, the SAI NCEO trainee said she struggled because her coach didn’t have his telescope to monitor arrow placement. “He got one after that set, but I focused on my breathing and the next arrow. I’m happy I won,” said Anshika, who originally comes from Bihar and has lived in different parts of India as her father serves in the Indian Navy.
Developing this composure took time. Anshika made a strong start in archery while studying in Mumbai and soon became the first archer from Kendriya Vidyalaya to win a gold medal at the School Games Federation of India nationals. She later earned a spot at the SAIL Academy in Jharkhand and then moved to SAI Kolkata, yet the national team continued to stay just out of reach.
However, this year has brought a turning point. “I learned from all my failures and used every lost match as a lesson to improve my technique,” said Anshika, who competed in all three Archery World Cups this season.
Her consistency showed once again in Jaipur. After her gold in the individual event, she fell short in the mixed team competition but quickly corrected her draw technique. She then helped Lovely Professional University clinch team gold in recurve, signing off with another strong performance.
Fresh from her Khelo India Zonal Open win as well, Anshika now has her sights firmly set on 2026. Her ultimate goal: securing a place on the Indian squad for the upcoming Asian Games.
