Archery in Korea is like cricket is in India: Brady Ellison

Kolkata, Oct 7 (PTI) American great Brady Ellison says South Korea's unmatched dominance in archery is rooted in a professional ecosystem where it enjoys the same status as cricket in India, which also remains "in hunt" for its elusive Olympic medal in the sport.

At 2024 Paris Olympics, Korea extended their dominance with their women's team clinching a 10th straight gold medal to continue the country's unbeaten streak since the event's introduction at Seoul 1988.

In the men's section, Kim Woo-jin grabbed his fifth Olympic gold -- the most by any archer in history.

"Korea is the only country in the world with a truly professional setup. Every one of their archers makes a living just to shoot their bow, even if they're not in the national team," the five-time Olympian Ellison told PTI in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the inaugural Archery Premier League.

"Archery there is like cricket in India or American football in the US. Kids grow up dreaming of being professional archers. Their 50th-ranked archer probably earns more than I do back home." He added that archers are treated as full-time professionals in Korea rather than just Olympic aspirants.

The 36-year-old, who holds the record for staying as world number one for the longest time in men's recurve archery, from August 2011 to April 2013, further said the structure in Korea paves the way for an enormous talent pool and depth that others simply can't match.

"The difference is their system... It lets kids start dreaming of being archers from the age of five or six. They grow up with that drive and discipline.

"Elsewhere, people pick up a bow mainly to make an Olympic team once or twice, not to make a living. For Koreans, it's a career, that's what makes them so consistent." Having won five Olympic medals and a record World Cup podiums (60-plus) across stages and finals, Ellison knows a thing or two about winning at the highest levels, and the American feels India are always "in hunt" for that elusive Olympic medal.

"India are always in the hunt. You have a ton of medals at World Cups and Championships. If you put your best two recurve shooters together in the mixed team, they'll be extremely hard to beat," he said.

At LA 2028, compound section will make its debut in the mixed team event.

"I think India would have a great shot at medals -- not just in compound, but in recurve too. You've got some archers shooting incredibly well right now.

"Put two of those together in a mixed team and they'll be hard to beat. LA is still three years away, but India's definitely on the upswing." The American also welcomed the news of celebrated Korean coach Kisik Lee's appointment as India's new recurve head coach, which is awaiting final clearance from the Sports Ministry.

"If he's not the best coach in the world, he's one of them. He's produced Olympic medals and world champions everywhere he's gone. It'll be a huge benefit for India," said Ellison, who trained under Lee early in his career.

"But coaches can only do as much. Athletes must be willing to listen, change, and work hard. I think India have those kinds of people." Ellison also spoke about how media hype and expectations can weigh heavily on athletes before the Olympics.

"I think the biggest pressure comes from the media and the country itself. When only a handful of athletes are in medal contention, the spotlight becomes overwhelming," he said.

"Before the Olympics, media requests go up 200-300 per cent. It's great for exposure but it takes away training time. You need a good team and a PR setup to act as a buffer." Ellison remains one of the most consistent archers in the world and believes that age hardly matters in the sport. He isn't thinking of retirement yet. Instead, he said, he is chasing two remarkable milestones: becoming the most decorated archer in Olympic history and the first-ever seven-time Olympian in the sport.

"I'd love to have a gold medal, but there are other goals now," he said.

"Making my sixth Olympic team would make me the first American to do it. If I go for seven at 2032, I'd be the first in the world." "Right now, I'm tied with Kim Woo-jin at five Olympic medals. The record is six. If I can come away with one or two more at LA, it would be pretty special." On the age factor, he said: "In archery, age isn't really a factor. Butch Johnson made an Olympic team at 52. Michele Frangilli and Alison Williamson were winning medals in their 40s," he said.

"If your body and mind are in shape, you can keep competing into your 40s or even 50s." He was also all praise for Deepika Kumari, who is eyeing her sixth Olympics after returning to competition post motherhood.

"Being a mom and competing at a high level is super difficult. Anytime a mother comes back and gets back to the top, it's absolutely awesome. Big shout out to all the moms still doing it," Ellison said.

Ellison is in New Delhi representing Tamil Nadu franchise Chola Chiefs in the APL where he shoots alongside the likes of the experienced duo of Deepika, Tarundeep Rai top compound archer Rishabh Yadav among others.

"It's been awesome, it's my first time in India. It's a place I've wanted to visit for a while, and everyone here has treated me amazingly." "Deepika and I have competed against each other for about 15 years. Getting randomly paired with people I know and respect has been a lot of fun," he concluded. PTI TAP AH