AAI Hires Olympic Gold Medallist Korean Coach Ahead of Archery World Cup

India have hired a foreign coach for the first time since after the Asian Games 2014. The hired coach Baek Woong Ki is a South-Korean Olympic gold medallist archer.

The Archery Association of India (AAI) has made a great move by hiring Olympics gold medalist coach Baek Woong Ki to work with the return team ahead of next year’s Paris Games. It’s exceptional to see that India has hired a foreign coach after six years since the 2014 Asian Games. 

Woong Ki is all set to begin his India stay with the season-opening World Cup Stage 1 in Antalya, Turkey, starting on April 19, 2022.

He has secured a contract that will last until the Olympics. It’s great news that the federation has hired Sergio Pagni, a two-time Italian World Cup winner, to accompany the entire team to the World Cup!

The upcoming World Cup will be an exciting opportunity for the newly appointed coaches as India is fielding a fresh and talented squad which includes mostly juniors. 

The Indian squad has some promising new names, in addition to veteran players like Tarundeep Rai, Atanu Das, and Jyothi Surekha Vennam. 

Although Deepika Kumari, Riddhi Phor, and Komalika Bari did not make it to the recurve team, and Abhishek Verma missed out in the compound archery section, there are still many talented Indian archers who have the potential to excel in the sport.

Indian archery outstanding director Sanjeeva Singh is optimistic about the juniors who have successfully completed a demanding two-phase trial in Kolkata and Sonepat. He expects them to perform strongly in the upcoming events. 

He mentioned that they are excited to witness how they conquer their anxiety and a strong beginning in the qualification will give them a great advantage.

The hiring of Baek Woong Ki is a great opportunity for Indian archery as he has a successful track record of overseeing South Korea’s double gold medalist demonstration in women’s individual and team elements at the London Olympics. 

He had the opportunity to be part of the Centre of Excellence in SAI, Sonepat. The AAI is confident that Woong Ki will be a great asset to the Indian archers, providing them with valuable practical experience and highly sought-after skills for the job market. 

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Due to Woong Ki’s expertise, the Indian archers have a great opportunity to learn about the standards and demands of their industry, make associations with potential employers, and showcase their skills in a professional setting. This experience can be valuable in helping them secure future career opportunities.