Indian Olympic medalist shooter Manu Bhaker said that she will resume training in November and return to competitive shooting next year. Bhaker, who won two medals at the recently-concluded Paris Olympics, was talking to the media in Delhi ahead of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final, scheduled to start in the national capital from Tuesday. Speaking to the media, Bhaker said, “I will be back for the training in November and to the match maybe by next year. I will follow all the action thoroughly. But my eyes will be on 10 metres event, the 25 metres event and the pistol events, since I am a pistol shooter.”
Bhaker said that her break from the shooting after Olympics was pre-decided by her and her coach Jaspal Rana.
“I do feel like competing. But before Olympics, my coach had told me to take three months off since I was facing injuries due to pistol recoil,” she added.
Bhaker also expressed happiness at being able to spend time with her family. “I am happy that I got a chance to spend time with my family after a long time. I eat homemade food and enjoy it a lot,” she added.
Speaking about competing in the World Cup final, Bhaker said it is a fine platform for youngsters since only the “champions of champions” take part in this event. “To play here is a big experience in itself. Players should make the most out of it, give their best and not be afraid,” she added.
At the Paris Olympics, Bhaker and her partner Sarabjot Singh secured bronze in the 10 M Air Pistol Mixed team event.
The duo of Manu and Sarabjot defeated South Korea’s Lee Wonho and Oh Ye Jin 16-10 in the bronze medal play-off match. Both Manu and Sarabjot shot consistently with regular 10s in the series against the South Koreans to claim India’s second medal.
Manu Bhaker opened India’s medal tally in the Olympics after she secured third place in the women’s individual 10m air pistol event, becoming the first-ever woman shooter to win an Olympic medal for India.Following that, Sarabjot Singh and Bhaker won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol (mixed team) event, which was India’s first-ever shooting team medal.
In her final event, she narrowly missed out on the historic grand treble and finished fourth in the women’s 25m pistol shooting event. She missed out on the opportunity to become the first Indian to win three medals at the Olympics.
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