Feeney to conduct two-week national camp for archers

The Indian compound archers will begin training for 2010 Commowealth Games with a two-week national camp under Australian coach Peter Feeney who has been roped in by the Archery Association of India (AAI) ahead of the Delhi meet.

Feeney will land here tomorrow evening and the camp will start from Sunday.

The Aussie had approached the AAI after the Indian Federation invited applications for the coach's position on the FITA (International Archery Federation) website.

The camp, which will be held at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Eastern India Centre at Salt Lake, will begin with 15 men and 15 women in the compound section.

The SAI Eastern India nodal centre has been officially declared as the venue of the national camps for archery, lawn bowling and rugby.

The camp for the recurve archers will also be held at the same venue with newly-appointed chief coach Limba Ram scheduled to arrive on Monday.

Confirming the development, AAI secretary general Paresh Nath Mukherjee told PTI, "Feeney will look after the compound section in preparation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. I am sure his experience will help the Indian compound archers.

"Limba Ram, being the chief coach, will join the camp on the second day when the recurve camp will also begin." The recurve section will have 16 men and 16 women.

A panel of 12 coaches appointed for the Delhi Commonwealth Games will also attend the camp.

The probables :

Men's compound: K Ratan Singh, Birsa Bandiya, S Sridhar, L.Haridas Singh, Arun Sharma, Sonam Pintso, M Chinglen Sana, Bijoy Rai, G Titomash Sharma (all SSCB); KSH Nikon Mangang (Manipur); Abhishek Verma (Delhi); Jayantilal Ninoma (Rajasthan); Palton Hansdah (Jharkhand); Isaiah Sanam (AP); Amrender Singh (Punjab).

Recurve: Tarundeep Rai, W Ranjan Singh Junior, Harish Chand Kerai, MR Tirkey, Bulbul Marandi, N Ravinder, Viswash, K Shiv Shankar and Gurucharan Besra (all SSCB); Jayanta Talukdar, Rajiv Basumatary and Rahul Banerjee (all SPSB), Mangal Singh Champia (Railways), Kapil and Priyank (both UP); Pawan Khalkho (Jharkhand).

Women's compound: Namita Yadav, Jhanu Hansda, Bheigyabati Chanu, Sweety Kumari, Manjudha Soy, Ashrita Kerketta, Niva Kerketta, Sumantala Murmu and Harsha Bharadwaj (all Jharkhand); Saksro Besra (Railways); Anjali Kumari (MP); Mandava Rishitha (AP); Pratibha Rani (CRPF); Gaganjot Kaur (Punjab); Jailaxmi Sarikonda (Maharashtra).

Recurve: Dola Banerjee, L Bombayla Devi, Reena Kumari and Sushma (Railways); Rimil Buiruli, Pratima Boro, Vardhineni Pranitha and Laxmi Rani Majhi (SPSB); Chekrovolu Swuro (Nagaland); Punyaprabha (UP); Belsir Narzary (Assam); Deepka Kumari (Jharkhand); Nisha Tomar (Chandigarh); Bimala Hasda (WB); Mamta Nagi (Punjab); B Lucy Devi (Manipur).

Panel of coaches:

Limba Ram (chief coach), Dharmendra Tiwari, Purnima Mahato, Harinder Singh, D Saiswari Rao, Ravi Shankar, Richpal Singh, RB Tamang, Ch. Lenin, Jiwanjot Singh, Lokesh Chand and B Gunicha Devi.