Happy Birthday To Manipur’s Gift To Archery, Bombayla Devi

Archer Bombayla Devi Lashiram from Manipur has not just done the Northeast proud, but the whole country too. She has represented India in many international events, including the Rio Olympics in July last year. Today, as she turns 31, we look back on her journey and her struggles in becoming one of the best archers in the country.

Here are a few facts you must know about the gutsy archer:

• She was born in a family of sports enthusiasts. Her mother M. Jamini Devi was a local archery coach and father Manglem Singh was the state coach for Manipur’s handball team at that time.

• She first took at bow and arrow for the first time at the age of 11. She joined the Sports Authority of India and trained there as an archer.

• Bombayla has appeared in many international events like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. She won gold at the women's recurve team event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

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• She has a fleet of achievements in archery in terms of medals -- four gold medals, five silver medals and four bronze medals that she won till now since taking up the sport professionally in 2007.

• It was in 2008 when Bombayla first qualified for the Beijing Olympics. She could not make it to the finals. Then she again qualified for the London Olympics in 2012 when she reached the quarter-finals and now this time in Rio Olympics 2016, she crashed out of the pre-quarters.

• Bombayla is currently India’s best female archer along with Deepika Kumari and Laxmirani Majhi. In Rio Olympics 2016, the Indian women’s recursive team consisting of these three players were ranked seventh.

• She received the Arjuna Award in 2012.