Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra believes there was a scope of “more conversions” for Indian shooters at the Paris Games but overall it was a campaign which they should be proud of. India clinched six medals overall with three in shooting as Manu Bhaker became the first ever athlete from the country post Independence to earn two podium finishes in a single edition of Olympics. Alongside winning a bronze medal in women’s 10m air pistol, Manu grabbed another bronze in mixed 10m air pistol shooting with Sarabjot Singh as her teammate. India got another bronze when Swapnil Kusale finished third in the final of the 50m rifle 3 positions event in Paris.
“There have been misses, but everyone has fought well,” Bindra told Jio Cinema.
“Outcomes are important, but more than that, it’s about seeing how you’ve improved as a nation in terms of performance. If you look at those elements, we’ve performed better than before. We’d like to see more conversions to medals, but we have a lot to be proud of,” he said.
Bindra praised Manu for patching up with coach Jaspal Rana and for working in tandem for her success.
“He (Rana) is a treasure trove of knowledge, a hard taskmaster and that’s a good thing. I had coaches I loved and ones I severely disliked but found a way to work with them.” “I credit Manu for having patched up with Jaspal after a difficult couple of years, which is normal in a coach-athlete relationship. Athletes are sensitive people and when we’re under pressure, that sensitivity heightens,” he explained.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist shooter Bindra said Manu’s success in Paris was a story of resilience.
“She’s taught everyone about resilience, how to sail well, and bounce back from disappointment. The greatest moment was when she finished qualification on day one, I saw a picture of hers and she didn’t have a smile on her face. That told me she was going to do well,” he said.
Bindra said Kusale’s focus on his preparations was the standout factor.
“He was very strategic in his preparation. A lot of athletes made the long trip from Chateauroux to Paris for the opening ceremony, but Swapnil decided not to. He seemed to be a very self-aware athlete, he knew where his body and mind were,” he said.
“He didn’t want to let go of energy, something he needed for competition. Sometimes, that’s the difference between coming back with a medal or not,” Bindra added.
Bindra, however, admitted only time will heal Arjun Babuta’s wounds who finished fourth in men’s 10m air rifle event.
“I spoke to him before and after the event, he was disappointed, but he was already looking ahead. He’ll need a little bit of time to come to terms with a fourth-place finish, but that’s life, that’s what sports is all about,” Bindra said.
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