The 100-day break prescribed by Dronacharya Jaspal Rana for Manu Bhaker, Paris Olympics star, is over. It will be back to the grind from this week in Dehradun at his own ranges. “A long break was needed, and, at the same time, I had asked Manu to keep working on her fitness,” Rana told RevSportz on Wednesday. “She has been doing the fitness routines and we are looking forward to starting from scratch all over again.”
To be away from the shooting ranges for over three months was something Manu enjoyed. She was able to take her Masters exams in Public Administration from Chandigarh, and is looking forward to returning to shooting. “I am happy she could pursue her dream of higher education,” said Rana. “It is important to pursue your dreams. Now begins the grind all over again. Manu has to forget she won two medals in Paris and finished fourth in the sports-pistol event. All that is past, looking ahead, she has to again train the same hard way, and there will be no short cuts.”
He has been in constant touch with his favourite ward, even as he mentors a few more shooters in the trap discipline, including Ria Rajeshwari Kumari and Kynan Chenai. Rana is also helping out a few more juniors, but the focus will be back on Manu. “The first thing will be to get her shooting muscle memory back and then build on it,” he said. “The initial plan was she shoots at least 100 rounds each week even during the break period, but that did not happen regularly. She did come to the Siri Fort ranges in New Delhi last month and is eager to come back.”
Probed further on why Manu will get so special treatment after such highs this year, Rana was frank. “What she did and achieved is past,” he said. “Reputation alone will not take you forward. Hard work has to go in again, and there is no hurry at all. We are not targeting that she shoots in competitions before 2025, so she will have ample time to train and work on her technique.”
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The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) will be holding the Nationals in New Delhi at the Karni Singh ranges in December. Manu will not be part of that.
As in the past, when Manu reached out to Rana in May 2023 so that he could again train her, the two will look to put in hard hours in Dehradun. “The kind of form Manu was in during this summer and the Olympic selection trials, she needs to get there again,” said Rana. “The approach has to be systematic, with consistent hard work and focus. The way she shot in Bhopal in the final trial and sealed her participation in three events at the Paris Olympics, that was good. At the same time, some of the other shooters had not peaked in Bhopal.”
He felt that when Manu returns to competition, few other shooters would be in a good rhythm. “If she starts shooting competitions in 2025 and is again part of the regular trials conducted by the federation, she will get into her rhythm,” he said. “People are talking of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles for Manu. No, she first has to peak for the Asian Games in Nagoya in 2026. That will again be through trials and competitions to judge which shooters are in top form. There are absolutely no short cuts ahead, I am clear about that. Yes, it is exciting Manu will be back at the ranges, because she loves the sport.”
Is there a possibility that more shooters will be wanting to have a go at Manu in competitions and trials? “Of course, there are plenty of pistol shooters who are already training,” said Rana. “They will want to do well, so my plan is that Manu is ready to face stiff competition from January 2025. I repeat, no short cuts.”
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