Yatin Niteesh, a 12-year-old archer from the neighbourhood, is one of the brightest upcoming stars in the sport.
Having started archery just 1.5 years back, the youngster already has medals at the national level in his kitty.
‘News Today’ spoke to this talented youngster to know more about him and his interest in archery.
Yatin said, “I started archery playfully. I tried various sports like football, skating, cricket and even silambam. But it was archery that interested me the most. I liked the way the arrows looked. Movies like ‘Baahubali’ and video games involving archery increased my interest in the game.”
But what started as a playful activity, slowly turned serious for Yatin when he won his first major medal (Bronze) just three months after he first touched the bow at the Inter-District MGR Trophy at Edappadi. In the next five months, Yatin rise was meteoric in the sport and he won inter-district tournaments in Salem and Coimbatore and bagged a bronze in National Championship at Satara, Maharashtra.
Yatin’s father Prasanna Vaidhyanathan said, “One year down the road, Yatin started proving everyone that he had huge potential in the sport. We realised his full capability when he won 5 medals (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) at the Maharishi Vidya Mandir School inter-district trophy.”
Speaking about the benefits of archery, Yatin said that his concentration has improved tremendously after he took up the sport. “My eyesight, focus, muscle tone and build has improved after taking up the sport,” he said.
Both Yatin and his father thank Fusion Sports Academy founder Prakash, where Yatin trains and his coaches Lovely Sundar and Satish for recognising his talent. Prasanna said, “The coaches trained him systematically and Prakash arranged special outdoor training grounds for him to practice. Their contributions are a big reason for Yatin’s success.”
Yatin also thanks his school (SBOA) physical trainer Rehana and principal for recognising his passion and arranging special classes and re-exams to allow him the time to go and participate in tournaments.
Yatin’s father Prasanna has a word of advice for parents of young sportspersons.
He says, “Being active in sports is a good experience. Through sports, you can win in life. You will gain a good experience for the future. Parents should understand that sports as a profession can also be a good career choice. Just studies alone is not enough in life.”
Yatin now practices using an Indian bow which is one of the toughest bows to train with. He says that he wants to graduate to the recurve bows (that costs Rs 3-4 lakh) so that he can participate in major international and national tournaments. “My dream is to win Olympic medals as a recurve shooter,” he says.
Readers wishing to give a word of encouragement to Yatin can reach him at 9176272786.
