NAGOYA: Manu Bhaker wore a disappointed look after finishing fifth (181.1) in the women’s 10m air pistol event. The position was unchanged from the previous edition of the Asian Games, but almost everything else had.In Hangzhou, she had been part of the gold-winning trio in the team event. More importantly, she had reunited with her coach Jaspal Rana in the run-up to the Games.This time, she had neither the medal nor the man who had been such a significant part of her shooting journey.As Manu walked into the mixed zone after the final, it was evident she was struggling to hold back her emotions. She managed to do so until the conversation turned to Rana, who passed away in June.Rana, one of the most decorated shooters in Asian Games history with eight medals, including four gold across three editions, had missed the Hangzhou Games as he was not part of the Indian contingent.Manu and Rana had been looking forward to this Games. It was not to be.“We were really looking forward to Japan,” said the 24-year-old, before tears began rolling down her cheeks.She stepped away for a few minutes to compose herself before returning.“I remember what he said, not once or twice, but all the time. It just stays with you. When a person has been a big part of your life, it just stays. It’s very natural,” she said.“Of all the things he said, what I remember the most is about the process. He was just so adamant about the process — that at any given point in your life, you have to be able to give your best performance and follow your process.”Then came a thought that seemed to go beyond shooting.“Life is just very unpredictable. So, live your life to the fullest, be kind to everyone,” she said.The past few months have been particularly difficult for Manu. Along with losing Rana, she also lost her grandmother.There had been a popular expectation of a medal in Nagoya, and Manu felt the weight of that expectation. “I genuinely tried my best. I am really sorry that I was not able to make it to the podium. I hope that I will be able to do better,” she said.The final itself mirrored the turmoil of the preceding months.Manu made a steady start and was third after the opening set, only for an 8.9 to send her tumbling to seventh. She fought back with a 10.1 and a 10.4, before an 10.8 lifted her from the brink of elimination. The rollercoaster continued. Another 10.8 took her back to third, but a 9.6 in the next series ended her medal hopes and left her fifth.Her coach Jelena Arunovic was not surprised by the performance. “During our training in Bhopal, finals-like practice sessions were organised. Compare the performance from there to here, it’s slightly better. This is what my coach told me as well,” said Manu.As she walked away, the panda pimple patch on her left cheek was perhaps the only thing that looked cheerful.
