Tenacity defined

PRIYANKA DHANIE, the highest-ranked woman compound archer in the English-speaking Caribbean, is hitting targets everywhere she turns.

Unranked at the start of 2018 and now listed as the 180th best by the World Archery Federation, the 21-year-old from Gasparillo is on course for continued success, in spite of all the challenges that accompany it.

Tomorrow, Priyanka travels to Colombia for the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games, undoubtedly the most competitive and consequential event yet in her six years of archery. She leaves with a male-dominated team coached by George Vire, which includes Hasmath Ali, Peter Kong and Jonathan Thomas (men’s compound), Daniel Catariz-Ragbir and Johnathan Mosca (men’s recurve). The team will be managed by TT Target Archery Federation (TTTAF) president Gregory Quesnel. The archery events run from
Sunday to August 3. After tireless training, steady improvement and 19 national records to her name, there is genuine promise of international success for the Gasparillo prodigy. Priyanka trains out of STRA Shooting Sports from Forres Park, Claxton Bay, where she and her father, Deryck Dhanie also coach young archers. Originally a rifle and pistol shooting club, STRA started offering archery facilities in 2016, and is now one of 11 TTTAF members. Although she has practised archery with a number of clubs, she says STRA is where she “feels most at home.”

“Their support system is amazing,” she said in an interview with Newsday.

What is archery?

Said to be the second oldest sport behind dancing, in its modern form, archery is practised with a recurve or compound bow. The compound bow is the more intricate of the two designs. Its limbs are stiffer and as it entails a pulley system, which allows archers to expend less energy to get a faster shot. The recurve bow is constructed much like a traditional bow. They are lighter and require more strength to reach targets.

Archery is played both outdoors – in an open field in which archers shoot targets 30 to 90 metres – and indoors, with targets at a distance of 18 to 25m. Today, it is an Olympic sport, although only the recurve bow is used. The compound bow, which Priyanka specialises with, is not yet included in Olympic contests.

However, World Archery has announced the compound bow will be included in the 2019 Pan American Games, giving hope for its eventual introduction in the Olympics.

Eyes on the prize

Priyanka, a two-time nominee for the First Citizens Sports Foundation women’s athlete of the year, is adamant about representing TT consistently and competently, even if this country’s pruned economy cannot afford to back her sporting endeavours.

“The CAC Games is my first major tournament, so I just want to do my best and enjoy the experience,” she said ahead of the archery events.

“My goal (at the CAC Games) is really to maintain consistent shots and stay focused. The competition is going to be tough as the best archers in the world will be attending. So, it’s going to be a great experience for me.

“I’m always very proud to wear the national colours and wave our flag high,” she said, adding, “Whether my trip to competitions are funded by the Government, the federation or myself, I shoot to the best of my ability.”

But, since archery is far from a mainstream sport, the TTTAF – still regarded as one of the most efficient and transparent national sporting organisations – itself struggles to obtain adequate funding to consistently fly out a full cadre of the country’s top archers to the most prestigious and relevant regional and international competitions.

That’s where the father/daughter enterprise comes in.

In 2017, Deryck discovered Sprout, a biodegradable pencil developed in Denmark that grows into herbs, vegetables or flowers when planted. Patented worldwide, the pencil has a capsule at the bottom where an eraser normally would be, and when it is too short for writing with, it is turned upside down, stuck into soil, and left to grow like a regular plant. It can be customised with names and brands.

Deryck and his daughter are the sole distributors of the product in the Caribbean.

As unusual as the idea may be, it has attracted considerable attention, including that of Atlantic, which bought several boxes for distribution to schoolchildren. Retired West Indies cricketer Daren Ganga also bought several boxes and has helped promote the product and Priyanka’s cause.

“If she has to go to a tournament, that investment is at least $25,000 for her alone. That does not include a coach,” Deryck said. He noted that the professional equipment she recently invested in also cost roughly $25,000.

He does not consider it a business, at least not yet; their pricing structure reflects only a negligible profit margin. The fundraising concept is simply designed to earn enough revenue for Priyanka’s archery-related expenses.

“We want to approach fundraising differently,” Deryck said. “By undertaking something sustainable, we want to make sure that whenever she needs her equipment or when she has to travel to a tournament, we don’t have to be begging people,”

Their slogan for the initiative is Pursue Your Passion – Plant Your Pencil.

Dhanie: Work hard, study and achieve

Priyanka turns 22 in September and is presumably far from the prime of her career. Yet within the last couple years, she has transitioned seamlessly from a junior to a senior compound archer.

Track back to February 2014: at 17, she won gold at the TTTAF National Indoor Championships, breaking an eight-year record by a wide margin. Last February, she took part in the National Open Indoor Archery Championships and won gold in the eliminations, as a senior.

That same month, Priyanka took part in the Multi-Sites Indoor Championship of the Americas for the fifth straight year as part of the compound female team, with which she broke another national record.

Since taking up the sport at 15 and competing in her first tournament less than a year later, she boasts an incredible 19 junior and senior national records on her curriculum vitae.

This, she says, is largely due to the unceasing support and encouragement that her parents and grandmother in particular have shown.

“Most parents want their kids to pursue medicine or law, which are definitely great, but women in sports aren’t promoted enough in the Caribbean. So many people are unaware of the opportunities within sports as a career. I’m so thankful that my parents supported my choice to pursue this career and support me no matter what.”

Priyanka says they insist she balance archery with studies.

“My grades at university are better than they have ever been in my academics, and my athletic performance is right up there with it. I couldn’t have done it without my parents.”

Priyanka is currently dong a BSc in sports science at the University of the West Indies (UWI). She was awarded three scholarships in the past year, partly because of her sporting achievements and her maintaining a 3.75 grade point average.

Family support crucial

“My grandmother also has a very important role in my success,” Priyanka said. “She always made sure I stayed focused on my goals and make that a priority.

“Although he lives overseas, my coach (Daryl Ramnarace) puts in the extra time to communicate with me, making sure we stick to our programme and get the steps done.

“My dad is my manager, as I like to say. He takes care of everything when I can’t, from promoting my career, all the administrative duties, meetings, calls, taking me to the range every day. He works hard every day to get me even one step closer to being able to attend all my tournaments and getting equipment.

“My mom is my chef. She always makes sure to prepare meals according to my nutritional plan, and that’s not easy. I love food,” she said with a laugh.

It took her just one international tournament – the VII Copa Merengue in April – to see her move into the World Archery Federation women’s compound Top 200.

She shot into 195th place in the rankings with a solid silver-medal-winning performance that saw her qualify for the CAC Games, before moving up to 180th just over a week ago.

Priyanka is focused on her development, and not just for personal glory, but to leave a lasting impression and inspiration for women and girls in sport.

“I want to continue to be a trailblazer for women in TT and the rest of the Caribbean. Because I study sports science, my role in sports won’t only be as an athlete...but even after that, I want to continue making a difference and helping other young athletes to achieve their goals in sports.

“I have a passion and drive for competing, and once I have the support to get to where I need to, I am confident that I will represent TT proudly.”

Ideally she would go it on her own, fully. However, she knows her fundraising endeavours require more than just an entrepreneurial spirit, but also support from the population.

“I do wish and hope we can get more support to finance my career,” she said. “Because the reality is that we are unable to afford all that my career costs right now ­– travelling, accommodation, equipment, training camps, supplements, etcetera...But we are working on doing as much as we can on our own.”

More about Sprout:

According to the product’s website, all aspects of the Sprout pencil are sustainable and non-toxic – from the biodegradable seed capsule to the 100-per-cent natural clay and graphite core and PEFC/FSC-certified wood. They are available in thyme, mint, sage, rosemary, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill and a variety of flowers.

To buy them, call 780-8762.