Tokyo Olympics | More heartbreak for Indian shooting contingent after Manu Bhaker misses out in 10m air pistol

The Indian shooting contingent continued to suffer heartbreak at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as 19-year-old Manu Bhaker – troubled by a broken pistol – battled valiantly but failed to qualify for the 10m air pistol final on Sunday.

Touted as the strongest medal prospects, the country’s young shooters – including Yashaswini Deswal, who finished a spot below Bhaker in 13th – faced the heat of pressure even before they left their training base in Croatia. They felt the heat quite literally when they arrived in the Japanese capital. The air-conditioning system at the shooting range was faulty on the first two practice days, and while it was mended, the Indian side wilted in the 10m events – the air pistol and air rifle – over the weekend.

The biggest disappointment on Sunday was Bhaker’s struggle with her gun, which cost her crucial time and a spot in the 10m air pistol final. She started strong and was third at the end of the first series, but a freak incident midway through the second series rendered her helpless. The metal cocking lever, which must be retracted to place a pellet in the gun prior to each shot, had broken.

It was something her coach Ronak Pandit defined as a “never-seen-before” scenario. “The lever is a metal piece, and it rarely ever breaks. I’ve never heard of something like this happening,” he said.

As it happened

The snag meant Bhaker had to walk away from the firing line and go to the test tent a few yards away to replace the damaged piece. The entire process left her with only 36 minutes to complete the remaining 44 shots, meaning she had less than a minute for each shot.

“She was prepared for the situation and recovered well. But the pause and shortage of time disrupted her rhythm,” Pandit said.

Bhaker needed a 10 on her last shot to qualify for the final but managed only 8. She broke down and was inconsolable. “She’s understandably disappointed. She’s very hard on herself. I’ve given her the rest of the day off and she’ll be back to the grind tomorrow,” said Pandit.

The 10m air pistol gold went to Vitalina Batsarashkina of the Russian Olympic Committee, while Bulgaria’s Antoaneta Kostadinova and Ranxin Jiang of China took the second and third spots on the podium, respectively.

Bhaker will be in action in the mixed team 10m air pistol event with Saurabh Chaudhary on Monday morning, and the women’s 25m air pistol two days after.

Deepak Kumar in action during the 10m Air Pistol Men’s Qualification event at the Summer Olympics 2020, in Tokyo, Sunday, July 25, 2021.
 
| Photo Credit: PTI