Behind every sensational world champion lies hours of relentless training, unwavering determination, and sacrifices that often go unnoticed.
And it has not been very different for 17-year-old Aditi Swami who hails from a village 15 kilometres away from Maharashtra’s Satara.
It was Aditi’s father’s enthusiasm for sports that led her to archery.
Days after the family shifted base to Satara, Gopichand Swami took young Aditi to the Shahu Stadium in the city where children were playing various sports.
But one discipline caught her eye. Some kids were setting up their bows and arrows, adjusting their targets. Aditi was soon enrolled in an archery coaching program but Gopichand thought nothing of it.
From the coaching program, Aditi then began working with Pravin Sawant at his one-acre sugarcane field-turned archery academy.
‘Aditi was really unimpressive, an emaciated 10-year-old when she came to the Stadium where I used to train. But her stubbornness caught my eyes and the journey began,’ Sawant recalled, in a conversation with news agency PTI.
Under Sawant, Aditi scripted a story of perseverance and grit. Sawant recalled his star student’s nature, ‘She was really hard working, would not take any break after a competition and trained here for hours. I knew she is a champion in the making.’
But as Aditi delved deeper into the world of archery, the costs of sustaining her dream increased exponentially. A bow costs approximately Rs. 2.5 lakh and arrows cost Rs. 50,000 – the price Gopichand Swami agreed to shell out for his daughter by taking loans.
However, just as Aditi got new equipment, the Covid-19 pandemic shut the world down.
When the teenager resumed after restrictions were lifted, she shone at tournaments, winning accolades.
Another cost piled up for Gopichand. Funding his daughter’s travels. But the father did not mind. He took out loans, with the total amount going up to Rs. 10 lakhs.
And his belief in his daughter stood the test of time. Aditi became the junior world champion in July 2023 and less than a month later, she brought glory to the nation with her historic gold at the senior level.
Aditi's victory marks a momentous milestone for Indian archery, making her the first individual world champion in the sport across any discipline and gender.
Now, as she prepares for the Asian Games, her eyes are set on bringing more glory to her country.
Aditi dreams of winning gold for India, both individually and as a team.
'Bas India ke pehla liye gold jitna tha, aur kuchh soch dimag mein nahin aaya (I was just focused on winning the first gold for the country),' Aditi told PTI.
In her conversation with PTI she also expressed joy following her victory, ‘I am very proud, I wanted to hear the 52 seconds of the national anthem to be played at the World Championships. This is just the start. We have the Asian Games coming up. I want to win gold for the country and continue to win team gold for the country.’
With her remarkable achievements, the nation celebrates her success and places its hope on her shoulders as she endeavors to secure India's first-ever Olympic medal in archery.
Aditi Swami's triumph is not just a personal victory but an inspiration to countless aspiring athletes across the country.
Her journey proves that with unwavering dedication, support, and a belief in oneself, one can overcome any hurdle and emerge as a true champion, even at a young age.