Paris 2024: Helped Manu Bhaker Realise What She Is Capable Of, Says Coach Jaspal Rana

One of India's most decorated pistol shooters, Jaspal Rana, was a proud man on Sunday, July 28. Rana expressed delight at her ward Manu Bhaker's historic achievement at the Games. 22-year-old Manu became the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal when she shot bronze in the 10m air pistol final at the Chateauroux Shooting Range in France. Jaspal Rana and Manu Bhaker worked together from the time when the former was the chief of the junior shooting program in the national shooting body. Manu and Rana had a split that hogged the headlines ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. However, the coach and her ward reunited in 2023, forging a successful relationship that would bring India an Olympic medal. "We have worked on a lot of things. But I made sure Manu realised what is was and what she is capable of (over the last one year). She is not someone who can be easily forgotten. I helped her understand that there is nothing that she can't achieve. The mental aspect of it involves making that person realise that she could do it," a proud Rana said from outside the shooting range in Chateauroux. Manu Bhaker had contemplated quitting shooting last year before she reunited with Jaspal Rana. The Paris Olympic medalist credited her coach for helping revive her love for the sport and fine-tuning her technique to beat the best at the highest level. Jaspal Rana revealed he was not able to say 'no' to Manu Bhaker when the young shooter mustered courage and called her to work together again.