Unbowed Ruman keeps eyes locked on the prize

Ruman Sana, Bangladesh's second athlete to directly qualify for the Olympic Games, has been involved with archery for the past 14 years and brought a lot of laurels to the nation. The 27-year-old archer talked to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about his career and as well as the future of Bangladesh archery. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): Following Archery World Cup, how was the preparation for next month's Islamic Solidarity Games?

Ruman Sana (RS): Bangladeshi archers recently featured in five international tournaments. However, we participated in those tournaments to prepare for the Asian Games and Islamic Solidarity Games though Asian Games were postponed. We are also confident to play the finals in a few events.

DS: What are the reasons behind your inconsistency since your best-ever performance in the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers in 2019?

RS: Ever since I suffered shoulder injuries before the Tokyo Olympics, I can only take 70 percent of load. Currently, the bow I use is three pounds less than the previous one.

Secondly, I was accustomed to the extra practice after the regular session and threw nearly 350 arrows. I benefited from that extra practice in international meets but now if I take that load, I feel pain in my shoulder and thus perform only regular sessions to keep my career alive.

DS: Are your current scores good enough to bag gold in big stages?

RS: Of course, it's possible to win medals in big stages since it's hard to predict who is going to win a medal. The man, who won silver in the Tokyo Olympics, scored one point more than me in the qualification round. In the Archery World Cup (stage-3) in Paris -- I scored 670, which is a world-class score – and finished 21 in the qualification. I think if I can maintain such a score, then it is possible to win a medal. However, luck is an important factor.

DS: As you enter the 15th year of your career, how do you contemplate your decision to venture into archery?

RS: I think it was the right decision though it was initially not my decision; almighty Allah took me to archery. When my school teacher asked to join an archery camp in 2008, I skipped joining the camp on the first day because I didn't know the meaning of archery. On the second day, I joined the camp and saw it is bow and arrow which I used to play before.

DS: How long do you wish to prolong your career?

RS: I desire to play in the 2028 Olympic Games though everything depends on the situation. One day I will have to leave the national team but I want to represent Bangladesh Ansar in the domestic circuit for as long as possible.

DS: In Bangladesh archery, your name comes first. How do you react to it?

RS: Sometimes I can't believe it and often think, is it really me? I was really overwhelmed time and again to receive honour in different programmes.

DS: You have once been worried over your post-archery career. What is your current state? 

RS: Now, I have no tension with post-archery career but other archers still have apprehension though. I'm now doing a job as a soldier of Bangladesh Ansar but everyone is not like me.

DS: Why other promising archers have not been able to perform as expected at international level?

RS: I think they will perform and we have to be patient. Also, the authorities concerned have to take care of the promising archers a bit more.

Without the financial support and job security, it's tough for them to concentrate on archery. I can give you an instance that Hakim Ahmed Rubel, who along with Diya Siddique delivered the first medal in Asian Archery Championship, could have performed better in the recently-concluded Archery World Cup in Paris because he was a bit disappointed after failing to secure a job in Bangladesh Police examination.

DS: Since the appointment of German coach Martin Fredrick in 2018, how has the change been in Bangladesh archery?

RS: The changes you are now seeing in Bangladesh archery was made by Fredrick because there was nothing like that before Fredrick's appointment. He brought vast changes in domestic competitions and introduced more tournaments than before. He has also been in deep touch with the service teams and provided the yearly calendar to all teams in a bid to make every competition competitive. His five-year contract will come to an end this year and I don't know whether he will continue with Bangladesh.

DS: What is the future of Bangladesh archery?

RS: It has a bright future. And especially the way Bangladesh archery is progressing, I think it's impossible to go back. However, the ongoing activities have to sustain.