Manu Bhaker overwhelmed by Jaspal Rana’s memories after missing out on medal in 10m air pistol

India’s Manu Bhaker reacts after competing in the 10m Air Pistol Women final round during the 20th Asian Games, in Nagoya, Japan, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI Manu Bhaker has had a rough two years since the Paris high, both off the range and off the podium. The 24-year-old has had a couple of podium finishes in both the 10m and 25m pistol events, a far cry from her own high standards, but it’s the sudden death of coach, mentor and father figure Jaspal Rana earlier this year that really broke her.Since June, Manu, always an introvert, has been even more of a recluse than ever. She has barely interacted with anyone, focusing only on her training and her family and staying away from the spotlight and media. The death of her grandmother recently only made it worse, pushing her further inwards. At the training camp in Bhopal last month, Manu was a loner, travelling between the shooting range and the hotel, talking only when absolutely necessary.The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is her first competitive outing since Rana’s passing and, as expected, it wasn’t easy for the youngster. Talking to the media after her fifth-place finish in the 10m air pistol, Manu began bravely, talking about the match before a mention of Rana finally broke open the shell.“Of course I miss him; he was the best of the best, the Asian champion. When it came to the Asian Games, I think he was the undisputed champion, and we were really looking forward to Japan,” she started before getting overwhelmed. Eyes welling up, unable to speak, she walked away, the floodgates finally giving way for a torrent of tears gushing down her face.It took a few minutes, but she returned, and her composure and decision to complete the interaction were perhaps the biggest hat tip to Rana, ever the professional. Asked if she remembered Rana during the break between qualifying and finals, she said, “Yes, I do remember. It’s not like you remember once or twice; it just stays with you. When a person has been a big part of your life, it just stays; it’s very natural. All the things I remember, most of which is the process.“He was so adamant on the process always, that any given day, any given point, whenever you shoot, you have to be able to give your best and follow your process. That and a few more things, like life is very unpredictable, so live it to the fullest, be kind” she smiled through the pain that clearly was still in.Talk about shooting, and Wednesday’s (September 23) performance brought back a semblance of normality. “I genuinely tried my best, and I really feel the performance was significantly better than the challenges I have been facing in my training in Japan. I feel really sorry I was not able to make it to the podium; I hope I will be able to do better,” she said.The training challenges she mentioned included sunlight affecting her focus during the pre-event training and inability to see the sides, but she insisted that she was focused on the process and most of her shots were as she had planned for them.“But a few shots were not so good,” she admitted, including a disastrous 8.9 on the eighth shot that dashed any chances of a podium finish. “Yes. As much as anyone would like to deny it, yes — it definitely compromised my chances a lot,” she agreed.Manu still has a medal chance in the 25m pistol, but she will need every bit of both mental and emotional strength to do so. Published - September 23, 2026 07:08 pm IST