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Manu Bhaker, Vijayveer Sidhu Win Final 25m Pistol Olympic Selection Trials

admin — Tue, 14 May 2024 12:54:31 +0000

Manu Bhaker in action© X (Twitter)

Olympian Manu Bhaker and Paris quota winner Vijayveer Sidhu won the fourth and final Olympic Selection Trial (OST) in 25m pistol events in Bhopal on Tuesday. At the M P State Shooting Academy, Manu, coached by the legendary pistol shooter Jaspal Rana, shot a world record-equalling 42 in the women’s 25m Pistol OST T4 final, while Vijayveer shot 34 in the decider of the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol OST T4 to emerge triumphant. Manu displayed complete dominance in the trials, winning two and coming second in the other two.

She was also the only shooter among the selected five to not score below 580 in the qualification round even once.

Abhidnya Patil (35) was second, while Simranpreet Kaur Brar (30) took home the final podium point. Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan were fourth and fifth respectively.

In men’s rapid fire, Vijayveer took the lead after the second five-shot series and held on to it till the eighth and final series to register his first outright victory in the trials.

Anish Bhanwala was second with 30 while Adarsh Singh was third with 25. Ankur Goel (20) and Bhavesh Shekhwat (18) took the minor places.

Anish, however, was the most successful of the five in the event, having won two trials and coming second in the other two.

Bhavesh had won the second trial. Vijayveer, on the other hand, had come second twice in the three earlier trials.

Wednesday will see the qualification rounds in men’s and women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event with local hopes Aishwary Tomar and Ashi Chouksey set to participate.

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Shooters Esha Singh, Anish Bhanwala Register Second Win In Olympic Selection Trials

admin — Sun, 12 May 2024 12:15:05 +0000

Esha Singh’s score was a point more than the world record set by Korean Kim Yeji.© X (Twitter)

Esha Singh and Anish Bhanwala registered their second Olympic Selection Trial wins in the women’s 25m pistol and men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) respectively on Sunday. While Anish had won the first trial in the same event in Delhi, Esha had claimed the second trial in the women’s 10m air pistol, also at the Karni Singh range in Delhi. At the M.P. State Shooting Academy (MPSSA) ranges, Esha notched her first win in women’s 25m pistol trial, shooting 43 in the finals. Her score was a point more than the world record set by Korean Kim Yeji at the Baku World Cup earlier this month.

Manu Bhaker came second with 40 hits while Rhythm Sangwan picked up the final podium place, bowing out ahead of the 10th and final series with a score of 33. Simranpreet Kaur Brar and Abhidnya Patil were fourth and fifth respectively.

In the men’s RFP final, Anish seemed to be in a league of his own, bossing the five-man finals field with three perfect series of five hits in the beginning. He missed just four to finish with 36 hits for the win.

Vijayveer Sidhu did stutter in the beginning, but eventually, held his own to come in second with 31 hits. Ankur Goel was third with 19, while Adarsh Singh and Bhavesh Shekhawat came fourth and fifth respectively.

All 10 shooters will come back on Monday for the fourth trial (T4) and final match in both the events at the Olympic Selection Trials.

On average after the first three trials, Manu comfortably leads Esha Singh at the top in the women’s sport pistol while Anish is well ahead of second-placed Vijayveer in the men’s RFP.

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Shooting: Manu Bhaker Soars High, Anish Bhanwala Wins On Expected Lines

admin — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 09:27:30 +0000

File image of Manu Bhaker© X (Twitter)

Manu Bhaker dished out an excellent performance to dominate the women’s 25m pistol qualification, eclipsing the world record score by a good six points while Anish Bhanwala won the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol Olympics Selection (OST) Trials 1 in New Delhi on Saturday. Olympian Manu topped the women’s 25m pistol qualification at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range. Manu was all class in the women’s final, her scores in the 10 series of five rapid-fire shots read 4,4,5,5,5,5,4,5,5 and 5.

When Esha Singh was first eliminated on 23 after the seventh series, Manu was already on 32, six ahead of Rhythm Sangwan and Abhidnya, who were tied at that stage.

Esha, however, will still lead the women’s 25m pistol OST at the end of it, thanks to her 585 in qualifying, which helped her top the five-woman field on Friday.

Manu will be just behind her in second with Simranpreet, Abhidnya and Rhythm completing the order.

Anish also stamped his class in the men’s RFP by finishing with 33 hits, a clear six ahead of Vijayveer Sidhu, who was second. Adarsh Singh took the third spot with 23 hits.

Bhavesh Shekhawat, after topping the qualifications, finished fourth with 18 while Ankur Goel was first to exit with 10 hits to his name at the stage.

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“Pistol Shooters Behind Schedule, Don’t Know Who Will Go To Olympics”: Jaspal Rana

admin — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:44:13 +0000

Legendary pistol marksman Jaspal Rana has expressed grave concerns over the delay in naming the Indian shooting contingent for the Paris Olympics, saying it will leave the selected shooters with little time for the final phase of preparations. Several countries, including the US and Italy, and many European powerhouses have announced their squads and their shooters are in the final phase of fine-tuning their skills and programs for the Olympics, even as India commenced its nearly month-long exercise on Friday.

The top-five ranked shooters in pistol and rifle category will undergo four trials — April 19-27 (New Delhi, trial 1 & 2) and May 10-19 (Bhopal, trial 3 & 4) — and the selection for Paris will be done after that, leaving precious little time for the last phase of training.

The Paris Olympics will commence on July 26.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has completed the trials in shotgun events, but they are yet to announce the squad in the hope that a few more shooters might secure Paris quotas in the Final Olympic Qualification Championship, which started in Doha on Friday.

“We are not in the same category of training and preparation as other people are getting around the world. They (strong countries in shooting sport) have already selected their teams and started their training and we are behind schedule,” said Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee shooter Rana in harsh comments against the NRAI’s policy.

“Nobody knows so far who is going and who is not going. That puts a lot of pressure on the players who have won quota places, while those who have not won the quota places there is a lot less pressure,” added the four-time Asian Games gold-medallist, who is currently the personal coach of Olympian Manu Bhaker.

In shooting sport, shooters win quota places for the country and the federation decides the contingent based on their performance in trials, national and international competitions.

Rana also flayed the ongoing trials at the Karni Singh Ranges, saying he had never seen a competition where only five shooters per event were short-listed.

As per the ISSF rules, eight shooters qualify for the finals in pistol and rifle events, barring men’s 25m rapid-fire, where six make it to medal round.

“Well, I have never seen five shooters (competing) in (the final), so I don’t know (what is happening). I never shot like that in my life. I’m seeing five shooters competing for the first time.

“At least, three more shooters should have been there. They should have at least completed the number of shooters in the finals… perhaps added three ‘zero’ shooters. They (NRAI) should have considered including zero shooters (to complete the ISSF requirement),” he added.

‘Zero’ shooters are not in contention for medals or quota places but complete the minimum requirements in a competition.

“Yes, I’ll be targeted for saying this, but I think there should have been three more shooters (as per the ISSF requirement). There are a lot of things that we can complain about, there are a lot of things which can be improved. But whatever is there is there (in front of everyone), and the shooters have to be ready for anything,” he added.

Jaspal felt a series of four trials was a bit too much and gave little time in between to rest and recover.

In case of Manu and Asian Games gold-medallist Esha Singh, they will have to appear in eight trials as the duo is in contention in 10m air pistol and 25m rapid-fire event. That puts added pressure on their physical and mental well-being over a duration of a month.

“My personal view is shooters should be ready for anything, but honestly this is too much. They (federation) could have have used some of the scores in (national and internationals) competitions as trial scores. You (NRAI) have all the options, provided you want to do it,” he said.

Asked if this was the ideal situation for shooters to de-stress, when not even two days are there between trials, he said, “There is no time (to de-stress). There is not good enough time even between the trials in Delhi and Bhopal.”

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“My Best Performance Lies With My Personal Coach Jaspal Rana”: Manu Bhaker

admin — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 08:48:45 +0000

Ace Indian pistol shooter Manu Bhaker on Sunday indicated that not being allowed the freedom to take her personal coach Jaspal Rana in major international competitions could be holding back her performance, and requested the NRAI to resolve the issue. Legendary pistol shooter Rana recently reunited with Bhaker after the much-publicised split two years back ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Rana is now working with the multiple-time World Cup gold medallist to help her bag a 2024 Paris Olympic quota place and win medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

But the National Rifle Association of India’s (NRAI) policy of not allowing personal coaches to accompany shooters at international competitions is something which has been a sore point with several marksmen for long.

“I’m hoping that this situation gets sorted soon. I’ve put in a request that he (Rana) accompany me for major competitions, like the quota competitions or the World Championships and all these…major events at least,” Manu told PTI on the sidelines of a sendoff function organised for the Asian Games-bound shooting team.

The Hangzhou Asian Games are scheduled to commence on September 23.

Manu, who missed Rana during the World Championships in Baku recently, however, hoped the issue will be resolved soon.

“Most likely it will be sorted. I think Kalikesh (Singdeo, NRAI president) is really supportive of me and he’s been helping me out and in certain situations.

“Even the team coaches are very coordinating (co-operative) but, I believe, my best performance lies with my (personal) coach only, which is why we have reunited,” added Manu, the winner of nine World Cup gold medals in individual and team events.

Asked about the key areas Rana was working on to improve her performance, Manu said the multiple-time Asian Games gold medallist’s ability to “distract me in a positive way” was something no other coach could do.

“He (Rana) just knows how to work with me. He’s been working with me since I was a child and he just knows the tricks and the things how to distract me in a positive way, like take my mind off things which are bothering me. So, I think he knows the secret (to make me a better shooter).

“Anything that takes my mind off my technique, I always discuss it with him. Anything, like the exams coming up or maybe I’ve had a fight with somebody, so it’s like I talk to him about everything.

“He easily calms me down or just gives me a solution or tells me what to do, what is the right thing to do,” added Manu, who will be competing in the 25m sports pistol event at the Asian Games.

Manu had competed in three pistol events during the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games but couldn’t win a medal. The Haryana shooter said she will try to give her best performance at Hangzhou.

“The expectations from the Asian Games will always remain the same. I’ll try to give the best performance as per my ability, and the best I can do for the Indian shooting team and the Indian contingent . So, the aim would be the same — to be in the best form and to be able to give my best.

Manu added that she would continue to train and compete in both the 10m and 25m pistol events and give equal importance to both, even though she would be competing in the 25m pistol event at the Asian Games.

“As much as I love my other events (10m air pistol), I love 25m as well…I would like to shoot in 10m also I would give my best in 25m as well,” she added.

The champion shooter is hopeful of clinching a Paris Olympic quota place during the Asian Championships in Changwon, South Korea, which will take place after the Asian Games.

“I feel it (Asian Championships) will be a bright competition and the entire shooting team, including me, we are all geared up and very much looking forward to the event for quota places.” Does the pistol malfunction during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which probably cost her a place in the 10m air pistol final even come back to haunt her? Manu indicated it was one of those days when it just happened, adding that she has “full trust” in her equipment.

“I think, whenever you are competing you need to have full trust in your equipment and your ability.

“If you have the slightest of trust issues, I don’t think you are ready to shoot in the competition, so you have to have full faith and full trust in every possible thing, your equipment, yourself, your coach and the entire team.” The champion shooter feels the learnings from being a top-notch athlete will help her when she is done with the sport.

“I’m done with my Bachelors in political science. Now, I am pursuing public administration from Punjab University, so have all political subjects like international relations, indian administration and stuff like that.

“The experience that I get travelling, socialising with different people, different backgrounds, different countries, cultures… that definitely counts. I believe you should have something side by side (to fall back upon).

“If you put so much attention on one specific thing, it will probably mess your head up. So, having two things is a bliss for me and I enjoy it.”

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