Deepika digs deep into her mental reserves

Avishek Roy avishek.roy@htlive.​com NEW DELHI: Deepika Kumari is eager to return to the drawing board for the Olympic cycle. An Olympic medal has eluded her but despite repeated setbacks, India's most decorated archer has not given up on her ambition. Avishek Roy avishek.roy@htlive.​com NEW DELHI: Deepika Kumari is eager to return to the drawing board for the Olympic cycle. An Olympic medal has eluded her but despite repeated setbacks, India's most decorated archer has not given up on her ambition.

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Two months after yet another unsuccessful Olympic campaign in Paris where she bowed out in the quarter-finals of individual round-Deepika was taking aim at the World Cup Final in Tlaxcala, Mexico, and won a silver. Then, she reclaimed the recurve national title in December, beating Paris teammate Ankita Bhakat. On Thursday, she won the National Games gold in Dehradun, overcoming a strong challenge from upcoming talent, Bihar's Anshika Kumari 6-4.

In every competition-big or small-Deepika says she is digging deep into her mental reserves and trying to identify the flaws. "My first priority is to work on my mental strength, starting with these smaller competitions. Like sometimes even in a smaller competition I get nervous, and lose control (of process). So, how to control my emotions in such situations, what to think in such situations? I am unable to repeat these things in matches. So, I have to find a way to overcome such phases," she says.

With a new coach in former international Rahul Banerjee, Deepika says she is also working