India, May 26 -- Veteran Indian archer and Olympian Shyam Lal Meena, a member of India's first-ever Olympic archery contingent, passed away on Sunday night after a prolonged illness. He was 61.

According to reports, Meena had been battling liver-related complications in recent years and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Born on March 4, 1965, in Kevadia village of Rajasthan's Banswara district, Meena emerged from humble beginnings to become one of the pioneers of Indian archery. He initially trained using a traditional bamboo bow despite facing financial hardships before being identified through the Government's Special Area Games (SAG) Scheme.

Meena was part of the Indian men's recurve team alongside Limba Ram and Rajat H...