New Delhi: In a move aimed at strengthening India’s medal prospects at the upcoming Asian Games and Los Angeles Olympics 2028, former World No. 1 American Dave Cousins has been appointed as the head foreign coach of the country’s compound archery team.Dave has accepted the offer by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and is expected to join the national camp at the SAI centre in Sonepat early next month. The 49-year-old will get a monthly salary package of $12,000 and will remain with the Indian set-up until the LA Games, where compound archery will make its Olympic debut.Sources said two candidates had applied for the post — former national coach Jiwanjot Singh Teja, and Dave. The archery federation (AAI) and SAI eventually chose the American owing to his coaching experience with the US compound team and modern training methods. During his playing career, Dave won 11 World Championship gold and nine World Cup Stage titles.Lee’s salary demandsMeanwhile, negotiations with legendary South Korean coach Kisik Lee for the recurve team have hit a roadblock over his financial demands. Lee has reportedly sought $22,000 for each seven-day coaching stint, amounting to 28 working days annually, along with a monthly retainer fee of $5,000.He has also declined to stay in India full-time or travel with the team during international events, including the Asiad and LA Olympics, sources said.Although SAI is willing to offer him a package of $24,000 per month, talks have stalled as officials are reluctant to approve such terms for short-duration assignments.Camp for Asiad in KurobeAs part of preparations for the Asiad, Indian archers will undertake a 21-day training and exposure camp in Japan’s Kurobe city before heading directly to Aichi-Nagoya for the competition. Prior to the overseas camp, the team will train in Shilaroo and Shillong to improve conditioning and acclimatise to Japanese conditions.Meanwhile, Archery Association of India secretary general Virendra Sachdeva has been nominated as a member of the Commonwealth Games Committee by the World Archery. The committee works towards archery’s inclusion in the CWG programme.
