Manu Bhaker 'nervously excited' going into Tokyo 2020
The ace shooter is one of the medal hopefuls for India in Tokyo and will be competing in three events
Manu Bhaker has been named for three events by the NRAI (National Rifle Association of India) for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. She has been picked to represent India in the 10m air pistol, 25m sports pistol and 10m air pistol mixed competitions.
She has been rewarded for her consistency and the young shooter feels no pressure going into the Games.
"I have been shooting in three events at the international level for the past three years. Why would there be any pressure on me?" she told The Times of India.
"I sort of knew that I will be selected for three events, but the confirmation from NRAI has only cleared the ambiguity if any. I think it is a result of my performance in the past three years and I am thankful to the selection committee and NRAI president for showing faith in me."
Chinki Yadav won gold in the 25m pistol event in the recently concluded ISSF World Cup but she has been named in the reserves, while Bhaker made the cut.
"I have maintained the no.1 position in 10m and 25m trials. I have been shooting better scores than anyone else. I had to make way for others at the Asian Championships and shoot in MQS so that others can get a chance to shot for (Olympic) quota," she said.
She is leaving no stone unturned to finish with a medal in Tokyo and is spending close to 12 hours every day in the range to fine-tune her skills ahead of the Olympics.
"I get up at six in the morning and reach the range at 8:30. I am home at 3:30 and have my physical sessions followed by my training with the psychologist and then I go to bed by 9:30 at night," stated the Haryana girl.
The Covid-19 pandemic postponed the games by a year and Manu feels that the extra time has helped her develop as a person.
"The Games postponed for a year, but then that was for everybody. I have invested a lot of mental energy into the Olympics. However, a lot changes in a year, performance and personality wise.
"For me, it has been for good. I have grown as a person in the last one year and it is certainly helping me with my performance. I am nervously excited about going to the Olympics," she concluded.