On Target, This Koya Tribal Is On The Rise

Rahul Madkami has switched tracks — literally as well as figuratively — once in his life. When he failed at athletics as a Class V student, Madkami decided to pick up the bow instead.

The move turned out to be a huge success, as he won a gold at the National Under-14 Archery Championship in Vijayawada in 2017.

“Archery was a new-fangled activity when I was in Class VI of Bibiguda School,” says this Koya tribal. “I made the cut in 2016 and I was among 15 others to undergo training at the hostel,” he tells theindiantribal.com.

Madkami (left) won a gold at the National Under-14 Archery Championship in 2017 and has gone from strength to strength since then

His coach there, Bhagatram Nayak, speaks about Madkami’s proficiency at the district tourney the next year. “His game at the 22^nd State Archery Championship, 2017, in Cuttack fetched him the gold,” he recalls with pride. “Then he hit his form at the national level.”

Since then, the tribal archer has gone from strength to strength. However, he feels he struggled a bit in early 2019, when he missed the gold to bag second place at the Senior National Archery Championship in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

A native of Himanspali village of Odisha, the young tribal is now an intermediate student at the Padia Arts College in Malkangiri district. He had to leave the college hostel since the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Practice had also ground to a stop.

But Madkami remained hopeful of entering the international arena once circumstances changed.

After the pandemic scenario changed and normalcy returned with tournaments again being conducted, the tribal archer went on to bag the top honours in the Under-18 State-level Archery Competition in 2021. Though he made it to the podium, he came third in the above-18 State-level Archery Tournament.

“Juniors who perform extraordinarily at junior level are allowed to take part in senior level competition,” his “proud” coach Bhagatram informs theindiantribal.com. Madkami’s next aim is to make his name in the national circuit and subsequently, go for the international competitions.