Revision as of 21:59, 7 March 2018

Manu Bhaker
From: February 9, 2018: The Times of India

2018

Gold at Khelo India School Games

February 9, 2018: The Times of India

GOLD IN 10M AIR PISTOL EVENT

For someone who took to shooting just a little over two years back, breaking two long-standing national records in a span of less than a month would easily qualify as prodigious talent. But when you talk to 16-year-old Manu Bhaker about it, she laughs off any such suggestion. “It (breaking records) just happens. I don’t think about them. People tell me later that I have broken a record,” said Manu after claiming gold in 10m air pistol event. She didn’t just win the gold, she broke two junior national records inside an hour.

A little known fact about her is that before taking up shooting, she was already competing at the national level in different sports. For Manu, 2018 will be a big year. She has qualified for all the senior and junior ISSF World Cups, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympics. “I am prepared for that. I have even got extra pages added to my passport,” she said.

World Cup gold

Tushar Dutt, 16-yr-old Haryana girl youngest Indian to win a World Cup gold in shooting, March 6, 2018: The Times of India

In 2018 Manu Bhaker was the youngest Indian to win a World Cup gold in shooting
From: Tushar Dutt, 16-yr-old Haryana girl youngest Indian to win a World Cup gold in shooting, March 6, 2018: The Times of India

• Manu’s performance in the 24-shot final: 7 shots above 10 but below 10.5; 7 shots above 10.5; 10 shots below 10; 8.1 lowest shot; 10.8 highest — shot twice

• Silver medallist, Mexico’s Alejandra Zavala Vazquez , 34, is a multiple World Cup Finals gold medallist and has been shooting since 1998

• Bronze medallist, France’s Celine Goberville, 32, had won silver at the London Games and has been shooting since 2001

• Another finalist, Heidi Diethelm of Switzerland had won the 25m pistol bronze medal in the Rio Games

Manu Bhaker, 16, etched her name in history books by clinching the women’s 10m air pistol gold at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Sunday, in the process becoming India’s youngest to win a World Cup gold. Rifle shooter Gagan Narang and pistol shooter Rahi Sarnobat were India’s previous youngest World Cup gold medallists at the age of 23 — in 2006 and 2013, respectively.

Singapore’s rifle shooter Lindsay Veloso and USA’s shotgunner Vincent Hancock, both aged 15, are the youngest World Cup gold winners.

The Jhajjar girl, who took to the sport only two years ago, scored a commendable 237.5 in the final to beat local favourite Alejandra Zavala Vazquez by 0.4 points in dramatic fashion. Alejandra is a multiple World Cup and World Cup Finals gold medallist and has been shooting since 1998, four years before Manu was born. Other than winning the gold at such a young age, Manu’s achievement is special as it came while competing against three Olympic medallists (Celine Goberville, Anna Korakkai and Heidi Diethelm) and multiple World Cup medallists. Besides, this was the first World Cup where women shooters fired 60 shots in the qualifications. Women shooters earlier took 40 shots in the qualification round but the rule was changed on January 1, 2018 for gender equality. “This medal will motivate me to reach greater heights... I dedicate this to my family and coaches, who have been supportive throughout,” Manu told TOI. Asked what was on her mind before the final shot, she said, “I just told myself to focus on my technique, irrespective of my standing in the final. I just did that and it worked”.

She is not done yet in Mexico. She has the chance to win medals in 25m pistol and 10m air pistol team events.

Brilliant final shot of 10.6 clinched the gold for Manu

Manu was leading by almost 1.5 points throughout the 24-shot final. She shot without taking the pressure of the big stage and didn’t look troubled or nervous at any point. But the gold almost slipped from her hand when she shot three under-9 shots within a gap of seven shots. Manu’s 17th shot was an 8.4. She recovered by shooting a 10.2 in her 18th shot, but an 8.1 in her 19th shot was a setback. A rollercoaster ride followed with 10.8, 9.4, 10.7 and an 8.5. Before the last shot, she was 1.4 points behind the Mexican shooter.

Manu’s final shot was a 10.6, a brilliant effort given the immense pressure. Her rival Alejandra failed to hold her nerve, shooting an 8.8 to give the gold to the young Indian.

Manu was introduced to shooting at her school in 2016. Universal Senior Secondary school in Goriya Village is the only place with a shooting range in Jhajjar district. The range is 25km away from her residence and the standard XI student trains for almost five hours every day.

Within two years of starting competing, Manu became the national champion in all three categories she is eligible to participate in — youth (U-18), junior (U-21) and senior — with 15 medals from the National Championships in December last year.

Her father Ram Kishan is a merchant navy engineer, while mother Sumedha is the principal of her school. Her father told TOI he was not surprised at Manu’s feat. “She got her first pistol only after days of trying her hand at the sport. She is dedicated and I knew if she was asking me to invest in something, she would not take the sport lightly,” the proud father said.

Manu’s compatriot Yashaswini Deswal also finished a commendable fourth. Yashaswini shot 196.1 and missed out on the bronze.

Manu’s medal is only the fourth pistol gold won by Indians in the World Cups.

Earlier, in the qualification round, Manu had qualified fifth with a score of 572, which is a new Juniors’ Qualification World Record. Yashaswini was placed seventh in the qualification with 571. Top eight shooters in the qualification proceed to the final.

Meanwhile, in the men’s 10m air rifle event, Ravi Kumar clinched his first World Cup medal, bagging a bronze with a score of 226.4 in the final. Another Indian, Deepak Kumar, finished fourth.