’I would say...’: Manu Bhaker hails coach Jaspal Rana as ‘father figure’ after Paris Olympics success

Manu Bhaker, the double Olympic bronze medallist and shooter, called her coach, Jaspal Rana, a father figure, while the latter perceived himself as her protector after the Paris Olympics 2024 victory.

In an interview with PTI, the 22-year-old Olympic champion, after a triumphant performance this year, said, “I would say he's like a father to me, and it's a matter of trust that you put in a person.”

After winning two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics 2024, the star athlete said that her coach gives her a lot of courage whenever she is unsure about the situation and her capabilities. She said Jaspal Rana would “probably slap me, and he'll be like, ‘you can do it, you trained for it'.” Reacting to the athlete's remark, the coach responded, “You have a controversy right here,” reported PTI.

Manu Bhaker became the first athlete in post-independence India to secure two bronze medals at the Summer Games in Paris. The victory came after the Tokyo Olympics disaster when Manu Bhaker's weapon malfunctioned before the 10m air pistol qualification round.

After parting ways before the last Summer Games, the duo accomplished their mission this year. They came together stronger this year and made history after the major setback. Regarding her performance at the last Olympic Games, Manu Bhaker said, “I would like to say about Tokyo that there was nobody to blame...it's in the past already. Tokyo taught me a lot of things to be prepared in a better manner, more aware of everything, my equipment, my mental health, physical health,” reported PTI.

Jaspal Rana said that they decided to refrain from discussing past events when they joined hands for an eventful year. “When we started 14 months back, there was only one request from my side to her: that we will not discuss the past. We'll start from here, and we'll move forward. So we kept that thing throughout,” PTI quoted Jaspal Rana as saying.

He added, “My work is to protect her. It is not only coaching. At this level, we cannot teach them how to see or how to pull the trigger. We just need to give that protection even from their own self.”

(With inputs from PTI)