Purnima Mahato
A former international archer who has coached India's women archers for two decades, a Dronacharya awardee, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
Purnima Mahato is an archery coach and a recipient of the Dronacharya Award, India’s highest coaching honour. She was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of sports, from Jharkhand [1].
Archer
She was born on 15 August 1976 in Jamshedpur and took up archery at ten, beginning with a homemade bow and arrows and the full backing of her family [2]. In 1987 she joined the Tata Archery Academy in Jamshedpur for formal training [2].
From 1993 to 1998 she represented India at events including the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and archery World Cups [2]. At the 1994 National Games in Pune she won six gold medals and was named the best player [2].
Coach
Since 2000 she has coached India’s archers, making her one of the country’s longest-serving women coaches in the sport [2]. Under her guidance the Indian women’s team has won international recognition [2]. Her pupils include Dola Banerjee, Deepika Kumari, Komalika Bari, Pranitha and Bhajan Kaur [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2024: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2024: citation for Purnima Mahato — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
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