Jayanta Talukdar has no fond memories of the last time he was part of the archery World Cup final in 2006 in Merida, Mexico, where he finished last among the top four archers. At that time, apart from lacking in experience, he was also missing the support of long-time coach Dharmendra Tiwary.

But this time, it will be a different experience altogether. As he gets ready for a second shot at the finals in Copenhagen, Denmark, he has gained in experience and also has Tiwary’s backing for the September 26-27 event.

“My 2006 days are behind me. I am much more relaxed in my approach to shooting these days. Also, in Mexico the rules were changed at the last minute and we had to shoot an arrow in 20 seconds. I was rushing through my shots and so lagged behind from the outset,” said Talukdar. But this time around, confidence is running high. He is the top-ranked player, and will face fourth seed Marco Galiazzo of Italy, against whom he has a winning record. England’s Simon Terry and Romain Girouille of France are the other archers in the fray. The winners will play for the top honours. “I have beaten Galliazo all three times we have faced each other. But I will take it one match at a time.”

According to Tiwary, getting acclimatised to Denmark’s cold will be key to Talukdar’s chances. “We are reaching Copenhagen on September 23 and we will get two days of practice at the venue. The sooner we get used to the weather there, the better it will be for us,” he said.

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