Pravin Jadhav: Rising star aims for glory

Pravin Ramesh Jadhav's journey from a shanty near a drain to the global stage of the Olympics is nothing short of extraordinary.

Born on July 6, 1996, in Maharashtra, Jadhav's early life was marked by stark poverty, where two full meals a day were a luxury, and basic necessities like electricity and water were scarce.

Despite these harsh conditions and against his family's wishes, Jadhav picked up a bow a mere than six years ago, driven by the hope of escaping poverty.

Jadhav, who competes in the recurve discipline, has risen through the ranks in rapid pace and remarkably made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games.

In 2019, he was part of the Indian team that made history at the World Archery Championships by qualifying for the final for the first time since 2005, ultimately winning a silver medal.

Now, as he prepares to represent India again at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Jadhav's story continues to inspire.

A village lad

In the often drought-affected village of Sarade in Maharashtra's Satara district, life was a daily struggle for many, including Pravin Jadhav, the son of daily wage-earning parents.

In a community where most were destined to be laborers, Jadhav's path seemed set from an early age.

However, for young Jadhav, hope came in the form of a passion for sports.

From his early school days, he showed enthusiasm for athletics, though his potential largely went unnoticed.

That changed with the arrival of Vikas Bhujbal, a dedicated primary school teacher who initiated various sporting activities at the school.

Recognizing Jadhav's talent and understanding the potential sports held for his future, Bhujbal took a personal interest in nurturing his abilities.

With the financial constraints Jadhav's family faced, Bhujbal knew that excelling in sports could pave the way for free higher education or even secure a job for him in the future.

Despite his local-level success, Jadhav struggled to compete at the district level, where he found himself physically outmatched.

Undeterred, Bhujbal took it upon himself to provide Jadhav with the necessary diet and training to enhance his physical condition.

This extra effort began to pay off.

Jadhav started achieving notable success at both the Taluka and district levels.

By the age of 13, his dedication and improved performance earned him a training spot at the prestigious Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune.

With access to better facilities and coaching, Jadhav's athletic skills reached new heights.

Jadhav's performance in the 800 meters, where he clocked 3 minutes and 40 seconds, stood out among his peers at Balewadi.

It seemed he was on the cusp of a promising athletic career, however, fate had other plans.

Taking up archery

Despite showing potential as a runner, the results from a drill where he threw 10 out of 10 balls in a ring from a 10m distance at the Krida Prabodhini School indicated that Jadhav was better suited for archery.

Jadhav, who had always been intrigued by the sport, seized this opportunity to learn archery, he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to mastering it.

In the beginning, the new sport presented Jadhav with unique challenges.

Weak arms meant that handling the weight of a recurve bow was difficult, and he often experienced shoulder pain when firing arrows. This affected his performance and put his future at the academy in jeopardy.

Just as Jadhav was on the verge of being released from the academy, his mentor, Bhujbal, stepped in to offer assistance once again.

Bhujbal convinced the academy with the help of Mahesh Palkar to give Jadhav one last chance to prove his worth.

Jadhav was given five shots.

With his place at the academy on the line and on the back of immense pressure, Jadhav was determined.

Scoring over 45 points, he not only secured his second chance at the academy but also established his reputation as someone who thrived under pressure, a skill that proved invaluable in his future archery career.

And the rest, as they as, is history.

Speedy success

Jadhav, who had only been shooting with modern equipment for over two years went from strength to strength.

His success story began in 2016, when, at the age of 19, he represented India for the first time at the Asia Cup Stage 1.

His debut was nothing short of impressive, as he won a bronze medal with the men's recurve team. This early success hinted at the potential that Jadhav would soon realize on the global stage.

Later that year, Jadhav was a part of the Indian B team in the Archery World Cup stage in Medellín.

During the qualification round, he posted a team-leading 666 points, seed 16th, which further established him as a promising talent in the sport.

In 2017, he was recruited by the Indian Army under the sports quota.

His family, recognizing the stability and security the Army offered, urged him to focus on his military career and quit archery. However, Jadhav's mentors, Bhujbal and Dange, saw his potential and insisted he continue competing in archery.

Their support proved to be pivotal.

By 2019, at just 22-years of age, Jadhav had become a world championship silver medalist.

With teammates Atanu Das and Tarundeep Rai in tow, Pravin's team defeated the sixth-seeded Canadian team to qualify for the knockout stage of the World Championships, securing India a place at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Their journey didn't stop there, they overcame the third-seeded Chinese Taipei team in the quarter-finals and then defeated the Netherlands in a thrilling semifinal shoot-off, earning a spot in the recurve men’s team gold medal match, where they ultimately lost to China.

This achievement marked the first time the Indian men’s recurve team had made it to the final at the World Championships since Madrid in 2005.

In 2021, Jadhav continued to shine.

He became the only Indian archer selected for the Asian Archery Championship, where he bagged a silver medal, narrowly losing to South Korea in the final.

The Olympic year began with a bang for Jadhav, as he clinched gold at the Asia Cup in Baghdad, Iraq, in February in the recurve bow event.

This victory was followed by a historic gold at the Archery World Cup, where Jadhav, along with Dhiraj Bommadevara and Tarundeep Rai, defeated the reigning Olympic champions without dropping a set to secure India's first World Cup gold in 14 years.

Major achievements

Asia Cup:

• Bronze Medal (2016, Bangkok)
• Gold Medal (2024, Iraq)

World Championship:

• Silver Medal (2019, Netherlands)

Asian Archery Championship:

• Silver Medal (2021, Bangladesh)

Archery World Cup:

• Gold Medal (2024, Shanghai)

As Jadhav continues to gather momentum with two gold medals this year, the anticipation is building.

With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, the nation watches with bated breath to see if Jadhav can add yet another gold to his growing prowess.