“55 minutes were remaining for 44 shots when the malfunction took place and when she came back after getting it sorted (the cocking lever was replaced), which we got in a record time, she was left to shoot 44 shots in 36 minutes,” Pandit, a former India shooter, added.
A distraught Manu Bhaker with India’s pistol coach Ronak Pandit. Pic/PTI
A pistol malfunction cost Indian shooter Manu Bhaker dearly as she lost nearly 20 minutes during qualifications, leading to a heartbreaking exit from the women’s 10m air pistol event on Sunday.
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When the technical snag—the pistol’s cocking lever broke down—happened, she was to take 44 shots in 55 minutes. When she came back to the firing point after sorting out the issue, she had to complete the remaining shots in just 36 minutes. Once she returned to the range, more agony awaited teenager, 19, as four-five more minutes were lost in checking the repaired gun in the sighter (practice).
“To change the lever, the grip and the trigger circuit has to be removed. They were put back but then the circuit would not work so we had to change that again. She was placed fourth when all this happened and by the time she resumed, others were in their fourth series while she was still on her second. No extra time is allowed as per the rules and the pressure at the end was too much. We are proud of the way she shot today,” pistol coach Ronak Pandit told PTI.
Manu, along with her coach and a member of the jury, had to go to a designated area to get her pistol checked and repaired, as no repairing is allowed near the range because of safety concerns.
“55 minutes were remaining for 44 shots when the malfunction took place and when she came back after getting it sorted (the cocking lever was replaced), which we got in a record time, she was left to shoot 44 shots in 36 minutes,” Pandit, a former India shooter, added.
Needless to say, the unfortunate incident has left the young shooter “heartbroken”.
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