Manu Bhaker: Negativity forced my parents to get involved

Manu Bhaker. Pic/PTI

Seeking to steer away from "negativity", Indian pistol ace Manu Bhaker on Saturday said that she will continue to shoot in three events, including the 25m, and vowed to make a strong comeback after enduring a hat-trick of heartbreaks in her maiden Olympics.

Speaking to PTI after arriving from Tokyo, Bhaker, 19, said there was negativity around her preparations in the run-up to the Olympics, due to the conflict with former coach Jaspal Rana, who wanted her to withdraw from the 25m pistol event. "I will continue to shoot in 25m event," Bhaker said as she readied to leave the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The controversy and the negativity around her dispute with Rana impacted her performance, said Bhaker.

"Yes, there was negativity as my mother and father were also forced to get involved in this whole issue. Questions like why my mother is with me in Bhopal [for training and trials] and why is my father accompanying would be asked by him," said Bhaker, who had earned her Tokyo quota during the ISSF World Cup in Munich.

Bhaker also said that she did not send any message to Rana during the ISSF World Cup in Delhi in March, saying it was sent by her mother who was "getting worried." The message Rana received was, "Ab to mil gayee na tassalli" [now you must be satisfied] after Manu settled for a bronze when she was expected to win a gold medal. Rana paraded at the Karni Singh Shooting Range with the message imprinted on the back of his white t-shirt.

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