Purnima Mahato

Lore & Background

Purnima Mahato began archery as a child after watching the sport at a range in Birsanagar, Jamshedpur. She trained there until the range closed, then moved to a range at Burmamines, Jamshedpur. In 1992 she made the Indian national team and relocated to Delhi to train with the squad. As an archer, she earned medals in national and international competitions, including a gold medal in the team event at the 1993 International Archery Championship. At the 1994 Pune National Games she won six gold medals in archery. She competed at the 1994 Asian Games but did not medal. In 1997 at the National Championships she earned two gold medals and set two national records. In 1999, Dola Banerjee broke a national record Mahato had set two years earlier in the 30 metre archery event.

Mahato began coaching in 1994 at the Tata Archery Academy, a position she still held as of 2012. Among the archers she personally coached is 2012 Summer Olympian Deepika Kumari. She has coached Indian national teams at multiple events: the 2005 Senior World Outdoor Archery Championship in Spain (team silver medal), the 2007 Senior Asian Archery Championship in China (men's team first, women's team third), the 2008 World Cup in Croatia (silver and bronze medals), the 2009 World Youth Archery Championship, the 2010 Archery World Cup Grand, the 2010 Asian Games (two bronze medals in individual events), and the 2010 Commonwealth Games (three gold and two bronze medals). She was an assistant coach for India at the 2008 Summer Olympics and was selected to coach the national team at the 2012, 2016, and 2024 Summer Olympics.

Reader's Guide

Purnima Mahato's significance lies in her dual career as a national champion archer and as a long-serving coach for Indian archery teams at the highest international levels. Her competitive achievements include multiple national titles, a team gold at the 1993 International Archery Championship, and six gold medals at the 1994 Pune National Games. As a coach, she has guided Indian teams at four Olympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016, 2024) and at major events such as the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships, where her archers earned medals. Her coaching of Deepika Kumari, a 2012 Olympian, highlights her direct impact on individual athletes. Mahato's recognition with the Dronacharya Award in 2013—the first woman from Jharkhand to receive it—and the Padma Shri in 2024 underscores her contributions to Indian sports. Her legacy is that of a pioneering figure who transitioned from competitor to mentor, shaping the next generation of Indian archers while maintaining a presence at the Olympic level over two decades.

Did You Know?

• Purnima Mahato won six gold medals in archery at the 1994 Pune National Games.
• She was the first woman from Jharkhand to receive the Dronacharya Award.
• She coached 2012 Summer Olympian Deepika Kumari.
• She was selected to coach the Indian archery team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

From the Ranges of Jamshedpur to National Glory

Purnima Mahato's journey into archery began in the small town of Jamshedpur, where as a young child she would watch archers practice at the local range in Birsanagar. That early fascination led her to train at the same facility, and when it eventually shut down, she transitioned to a range in Burmamines, continuing her development in the same city. Her dedication paid off in 1992 when she earned a place on the Indian national team, prompting a move to Delhi for higher-level training. Her competitive results were remarkable: at the 1993 International Archery Championship she claimed a gold medal in the team event, and at the 1994 Pune National Games she collected an extraordinary six gold medals. Though she competed at the 1994 Asian Games without a podium finish, she returned to dominant form at the 1997 National Championships, winning two golds and establishing two national records. One of those records, in the 30-metre event, stood until Dola Banerjee surpassed it at the 1999 Indian National Games, a testament to the standard Mahato had set for her successors.

Building Champions: A Coaching Career Spanning Decades

After her competitive years, Mahato transitioned into coaching, taking up a position at the Tata Archery Academy in 1994 that she maintained through at least 2012. Among the archers she personally mentored was Deepika Kumari, who would go on to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Her work with national teams produced consistent results across the globe. At the 2005 Senior World Outdoor Archery Championship in Spain, her squad brought home a silver medal. The following year's Senior Asian Archery Championship in China saw her men's team finish first and her women's team third. She served as assistant coach at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and then guided India at the 2008 World Cup in Croatia, where her archers secured both a silver and a bronze. Her resume includes coaching at the 2009 World Youth Championship, the 2010 World Cup Grand, the 2010 Asian Games with two individual bronzes, and the 2010 Commonwealth Games, where her archers collected three golds and two bronzes. She was subsequently selected as head coach for the 2012, 2016, and 2024 Olympic Games.

Honours and National Recognition

Mahato's contributions to Indian archery have been formally recognised at the highest levels of the country. In 2013, the President of India conferred upon her the Dronacharya Award, India's most prestigious honour for coaching excellence, presented on 29 August of that year. She holds the distinction of being the first woman from Jharkhand to receive this award. Her recognition continued in 2024 when President Draupadi Murmu personally presented her with the Padma Shri in New Delhi on 22 April, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in acknowledgment of her sustained work in sports. Beyond these national honours, her peers and state government also acknowledged her impact. At the Global Sports Summit TURF in 2011, she was named Coach of the Year. The Government of Jharkhand further honoured her with the Ram Dayal Munda Award for Best Coach of the Year, presented during Olympic Day Run celebrations in Ranchi on 23 June 2012. These accolades collectively underscore a career that earned respect from both the sporting community and the nation's leadership.

A Lasting Imprint on Indian Archery

Purnima Mahato's story is one of sustained, multi-generational influence on Indian archery. What began as a child watching archers at a range in Birsanagar, Jamshedpur, evolved into a career that spanned both competing and coaching at the pinnacle of the sport. Her presence at four Olympic Games—2008, 2012, 2016, and 2024—reflects a rare longevity and the deep trust placed in her by the national programme. As the first woman from Jharkhand to receive the Dronacharya Award, she broke a gender and regional barrier in Indian sports coaching, inspiring a generation of athletes from the state. Her personal mentorship of archers like Deepika Kumari at the Tata Archery Academy demonstrates a commitment to nurturing individual talent alongside team success. From setting national records in the 1990s to guiding India's squads at World Cups, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games, Mahato's career embodies a complete arc: competitor, record-holder, coach, and national icon, all rooted in the small-town ranges of Jamshedpur.