Banswara, May 26 -- Shyam Lal Meena, one of India's pioneering Olympic archers and a member of the country's first-ever archery contingent at the Olympic Games, died on Sunday night after a prolonged illness. He was 61.

Meena breathed his last at a hospital where he had been undergoing treatment following a deterioration in his health. He had reportedly been battling liver-related complications in recent years, according to Olympics.com.

Born on March 4, 1965, in Kevadia village of Rajasthan's Banswara district, Meena rose from modest beginnings to become one of the early torchbearers of Indian archery.

He initially trained with a traditional bamboo bow despite financial hardships before earning recognition through the Government's Spe...