India’s double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker is brimming with confidence ahead of the new season, determined to reignite her competitive spark after a quiet spell following her Paris Games glory. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics qualification cycle kicking off this year, Manu has her sights firmly set on the Asian Games and the World Championships — targets she believes will restore the competitive edge that powered her to two bronze medals at the 2024 Olympics. “We have the Asian Games (in Japan) and the World Championships coming up at the end of this year, so definitely we are looking forward to the two major competitions,” said the 24-year-old pistol ace on the sidelines of an event, marking 75 years of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), on Monday.
“So, the preparations which me and my coach we have… we sat down sometime back and we planned what are the (upcoming) competitions and what is the preparedness. I feel we have all the things sorted and hopefully we will do very well,” added the Jhajjar shooter who has endured a relatively quiet spell since her 2024 Paris success, managing a 10m air pistol World Cup silver last year and a 25m pistol silver at the Asian Championships in New Delhi this year.
Manu welcomed the move with clear excitement, delighted that shooting will return to the programme at the 2030 Commonwealth Games in India after being left out of both the 2022 edition in Birmingham and the upcoming Games in Glasgow.
“My first breakthrough was in the Commonwealth Games that was in 2018 Australia (Gold Coast). It is sad (that it was not part of the CWG curriculum for two successive editions), but at the same time I am also looking forward to the 2030 Games.
“We will be hosting the Commonwealth Games so I am looking forward… I am sure India will do great,” she added.
Manu Bhaker also spoke about her personal growth, revealing a deeper spiritual side that took shape around the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Yes, I am a very spiritual person. That journey began around the time of the Olympics, and I’m really happy to be continuing on that path.” With cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi emerging as one of the brightest young achievers and calls growing for his fast-tracked entry into the national team, Manu said that if the talent is ready and the mentorship is right, there should be no barriers to accelerating the process.
“If the mentorship is right and the environment supports growth, age is just a number — talent has no timeline. It can be spotted at 6 or even 60. With the right guidance, I’m sure Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can be the next big star of Indian cricket,” said Manu Bhaker, who will next be seen at the ISSF World Cup Munich next month.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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