Karma. That’s one key word Dronacharya Jaspal Rana uses to describe the way his ward Manu Bhaker could peak at the gruelling Olympic Selection Trials (OST) and eventually at Chateauroux, venue for the shooting events at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This was one of the most captivating comebacks by a coach and shooter, after an enormous amount of bitterness which became full-blown news for the media after the Tokyo Olympics.
Sample this. When Manu failed to win a big medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, she looked lost. The smile was missing on her face even as the other shooters managed to fire their way to medals. As one looks back at Indian sports in 2024, for Manu and Rana to work together and win medals for India will remain a historic high. Never before had an Indian athlete won two medals at a single edition of the Olympics. At the same time, for Rana to accompany her to Europe prior to the Paris Olympics, and keep her in a good frame of mind, showed his devotion. It was like a father trying to help out his daughter. There was no salary to be earned, there was no official coaching contract. It was just a “national commitment”, as Rana said, when asked to reflect on the journey.
A lot of hard work went in, from both Rana and Manu. The training schedule was hard, and the summer heat not easy to deal with. Manu had no off days, and to complain was a waste of time. “You need to go through all this now and then rest after the Olympics” was Rana’s constant refrain. There were days when Manu was in pain, yet she could not go through a massage session as she had to be at the ranges the next day.
To breach the pain barrier and peak, that was what Rana did to ensure that nothing would distract Manu. RevSportz has done several interviews with both. One quote from Manu which stays etched forever is: “Jaspal Sir brought back the smile on my face.” It’s to be seen in all her photos.
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It was not easy at all. After failing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Manu contemplated quitting shooting. She then reached out to her coach and mentor, and the journey began in the summer of 2023. Less than one year to prepare, to get everything back into her shooting – technique, temperament and the effort of training for hours without a break. The best of athletes crave a “cheat day” when they don’t have to train. Manu was never allowed that.
Rewind to the two bronze medals Manu won in Paris 2024, and the air-pistol bronze came courtesy long hours of training. Perfecting the slow-fire event would also stand her in good stead for the sports pistol. When she won her first medal, to stay in control of her emotions and not get carried away was not easy at all. It was constant advice from Rana that she had two more events to go, and she should not lose her focus, which kept her going. Sure enough, when she won the mixed-team air-pistol bronze medal with Sarabjot Singh, it was historic. No Indian had won two medals in a row at the Olympics.
If that was going to be the stage where she could ease off, no. Rana would not let her relax. “One more match, you cannot go easy,” he told her. It was bad luck that Manu finished fourth in the sports pistol event (25 metres). Reflecting on Paris 2024, Jaspal told RevSportz on Wednesday: “Manu was supposed to win a medal in sports pistol, that was her strength. She won two medals but to get there again, she has to again slog.”
His message is clear. For all those who think Manu will win medals in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, there has to be a reality check. “Manu has started training but the main goal in 2025 will be doing well in the NRAI trials, then get selected for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya,” he said crisply. “We will talk of LA later.”
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