Six world-class Indian archers have been selected to compete in the first-ever international archery tournament to be held at the Lord's cricket ground on Monday.
India's men's team includes Tarundeep Rai, who won the 2004 Asian Grand Prix in Bangkok, while its women's side features Commonwealth Archery champion Dola Banerjee.
While its archers are already very accomplished, India has selected a young line-ups for Monday's event - The NPower International Archery Challenge, for The MCC Cup - with a view to 2012's Olympics, when the archery competition will be staged at Lord's.
India:
Men's team: Tarundeep Rai (23); Rahul Banerjee (20); and Somai
Murmu (24).
Women's team: Dola Banerjee (27); Chekrovolu Swuro (24); and
Bombayla Devi (22).
They will be competing against strong sides from China and the Great Britain, with the British women's team including Alison Williamson - a bronze medallist at 2004's Athens Olympics.
MCC's secretary and chief executive Keith Bradshaw, said: "We're looking forward to welcoming all the archers to Lord's for this truly historic event, which is being sponsored by NPower.
"It's the first international archery tournament to be staged at Lord's in the ground's very long and distinguished history. The Indian community always gives its cricketers truly tremendous support; we hope its archers will be very well-supported, too."
"Monday's tournament will be a great opportunity for all the archers - from China, Great Britain and India - to gain some invaluable experience of competing at Lord's in advance of the London Olympics in 2012," he added.
Two MCC Cups have been commissioned - one for the victorious men's team, another for the successful women's side - for this tournament, which the Club has organised in conjunction with the Grand National Archery Society.
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