India's 22-year-old shooting star Manu Bhaker is back home after a successful Olympics campaign in Paris. Bhaker won a bronze medal in 10m pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh respectively to become only the third Indian after independence to win two Olympic medals and only the first one to do so in the same edition. However, Bhaker is set to take a break from shooting for nearly three months following the Olympics and that would mean missing the World Cup in October.
Bhaker's coach Jaspal Rana, who has played an important role in her turnaround after the Tokyo Olympics, was unsure of her participation. "I am not sure whether she will be at the Shooting World Cup in October because she is taking a three-month break," Rana was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.
"It's a normal break, she has been training for a long time," Rana added. The Shooting World Cup is set to take place in New Delhi from October 13 to 18. Following the break, Rana said that he and Bhaker would put all their energies towards Commonwealth and Asian Games in 2026.
Bhaker could have had three medals in Paris if not for a close finish in the 25m pistol event where she finished fourth. The Indian contingent had as many as six fourth-placed finishes in Paris while it finished with a total of six medals, the tally equal to that of the London Olympics in 2012. While Neeraj Chopra was the only one to win a Silver, there were five bronze medals including two for Bhaker (one with Sarabjot), Swapnil Kusale, hockey team and Aman Sehrawat in wrestling.
Bhaker has become the toast of the nation as she made a short trip back to India before flying back to Paris for the closing ceremony where she was the flagbearer alongside PR Sreejesh, who played his last international game for India.
