Khelo India Scholarship Fuels Young Archer Sarvesh Smaran’s Quest for Glory

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Tamil Nadu's rising archery star Sarvesh Smaran is reaping the rewards of his dedication and bold decision to move out of his comfort zone.

Having shifted base from home to the National Centre of Excellence in Sonipat, the 16-year-old recurve archer is now determined to make a mark at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 in Bihar.

Set to contest the final at the historic Sandy's Compound on Thursday, Sarvesh is focused on avoiding past mistakes and is hopeful of clinching gold against Maharashtra's Ujjwal Bharat Olekar. "I didn't perform well in the ranking round, so I played with a different mindset. I played with all my heart. I am hopeful to return with a gold from the final," he said.

Sarvesh, whose mother serves as a Superintendent of Police in Tamil Nadu, has already shown his potential at the national level but admits that inconsistency in earlier events - including the National Championships and the National Games - has been a learning curve. This time, however, he is determined to stay on target.

While his immediate focus is on the Khelo India final, Sarvesh has his eyes set on a much bigger stage - the Youth Archery World Championship in Canada this August. To get there, he must first pass the litmus test at the national trials in Pune later this month. "I want to win a medal in the Youth Archery World Championship in Canada this August. I will have to do well in the national trial in Pune on May 22. I aim to return as champion from Pune. But right now my focus is on the Khelo India final and I want to clinch a medal here before I think of the trial," he added.

Despite being just 16, Sarvesh already boasts of valuable international experience. He finished fourth in his debut outing at the Youth International Championship in Taipei in September 2024 and followed it up by competing at the Archery Asia Cup Stage 1 in Bangkok earlier this year.

Interestingly, Sarvesh's journey into archery was shaped by his mother's ambition. "My mother wanted me to take up Shooting as a sport when I was five years old. But you need to be at least 8 to start. Since my mother felt that I should take up precision sport, she motivated me to take up Archery as it looked very similar to Shooting. So, I began practising archery then," he recalled.

As a Khelo India Scheme athlete, Sarvesh receives a monthly scholarship of ₹10,000. Additionally, he benefits from the support of the Government of Tamil Nadu and a private foundation, which has helped him hone his skills further. "Sports Authority of India and Archery Association of India are providing us full support. I became more focused after being chosen under the Scheme," he said.

With a renewed mindset and national support behind him, Sarvesh is aiming to hit the bullseye-not just in Bihar, but on the global stage in the months to come.