Manu Bhaker: Determined to work hard and strive for better finish for India in future

Manu Bhaker came close to winning a third medal at the Paris Olympics but finished fourth in the women’s 25m pistol event on Saturday. Manu leaves Paris as the first athlete in Independent India to win two medals at the same edition of the Games.

Asked about what was different this time compared to Tokyo 2020, where she failed to make the finals in all three of her events, Manu said, “One significant difference in my performances and behaviour this time around is confidence” . “In Tokyo, I was not confident and felt scared. However, now I feel much more confident and mature, largely due to my coach [Jaspal Rana]. He makes training so difficult that matches feel manageable. I simply apply what I’ve learnt in training. Additionally, experience plays a crucial role. By embracing both victories and losses and focussing on their positive aspects, you can learn a lot and benefit in the future,” she added.

Nerve-wracking

Despite occupying the top three places for most of the final, a poor series towards the closing stages saw Manu drop to fourth place after a shoot-off with Veronika Major of Hungary. Veronika won the bronze medal in the final. Jiin Yang of the Republic of Korea took the gold medal after beating France’s Camille Jedrzejewski in a shoot-off.

Reflecting on her outing, Manu said, “The match was a rollercoaster for me. The beginning was not great, but I eventually caught up with the others. I was continuously telling myself to keep trying and doing my best with each shot. However, towards the end, the nerves seemed to get the better of me, and things didn’t go my way, resulting in a fourth-place finish. Despite this, finishing fourth is better than not making it to the finals. I’m looking forward to overcoming this in the next cycle and seeing how it goes for all of us. With two medals and plenty of motivation, I am determined to work hard and strive for a better finish for India in the future.”

Rigid routine

Earlier, Manu became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting after winning bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol final. She then won the bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh to clinch India’s first shooting medal in a team event at the Olympics. Manu shed some light on her daily routine that’s allowed her to stay in good shape, mentally and physically. “I have a very rigid routine, following the same pattern every single day,” she said. “I like to work out constantly, before and after matches, so I’m a regular at the gym. I eat on time, meditate, and sleep on time, maintaining this schedule consistently. During the day, I’m almost always here [at the range].”

Manu’s fourth-place finish in the women’s 25m pistol final was also the second for India in Paris after Arjun Babuta also suffered the same fate in the men’s 10m air rifle final.