GOOD return by Manu Bhaker

It has been a long wait for Manu Bhaker. After the highs of the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she won two bronze medals and finished fourth in spots pistol, life has not been the same. Her return to shooting had begun in November but serious training with an eye on competition resumed over the weekend. The dead serious stuff is on in 2025, as the Indian shooters gear towards the next Olympics cycle which will climax in 2028 in Los Angeles.

Before that, there is a plethora of competitions which await Manu  Bhaker, Esha Singh, Simranpreet Kaur and many more shooters. The pistol, rifle and shotgun rivalries will be intense, with an eye on making it to the team for the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Nagoya, Japan. The debate and discourse will be on Manu Bhaker, who turns 23 this year. She has been away from serious training and to hit the ground running is nice. With coach Jaspal Rana on her side and focussing on the small but important aspects, what Manu did in her first competition is important.

An aggregate score of 587 in sports pistol, in the precision and duelling phase, the highest in the first trial, is proof she is back right up there. Of course, after the final, she was placed third. What is important is after a long gap, the competitive juices are flowing for Manu Bhaker. It is important, for she still has at least a few more Olympics left in her. This is a sport where age does not really matter. “It is important she has returned and is on the right track. There are back-to-back trials over the next few days, so this will challenge the shooters, be it Manu or Esha. Yes, I am excited,” said Jaspal Rana, personal coach of Manu Bhaker who is also mentoring a few more marksmen.

Back to Manu, the main thing is getting her focus back. To be away from the ranges, doing things which she never did before like ramp walk and adventure, she could take her mind off the sport. She also was bestowed the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, a massive award for an elite athlete. Like Sania Mirza faced controversies right through her career, Manu also is chased or shadowed by controversies. It defines her she is able to shake it off and bounce back. That is the biggest positive from the first trial conducted by the NRAI at the Karni Singh ranges in Tughlakabad.

To be sure, shooting is one sport which looks in good shape in India. The depth is massive, especially in air events, be it pistol or rifle. New faces are emerging as champions. Some have done well at the Nationals last year end and some have gone on to win medals at the National Games in Dehradun. The whole process of having trials is demanding, yet it has worked in the last Olympic cycle. Had Manu not smoked the OST (Olympic Selection Trials) last year in the summer heat of May 2024, she may not have made it to three teams – air pistol, mixed and sports pistol for the Paris Olympics.

All that is past, the return to shooting and wanting to fight all over again is important. She finished third, after the finals. Manu hates to lose, so she should be angry with herself. That is good, as it will fire her up to do better. As one who has peaked repeatedly, one can expect her to do better in the air pistol event as well in the coming days. There were many who said she had lost focus and shooting was no longer a priority. Manu Bhaker has proved many wrong, yet again. For the uninitiated, her basic score of 587 is more important.