Tokyo 2020, shooting: Manu Bhaker on shooting in all 3 pistol events, coach controversy and more

Seeking to steer away from negativity, Indian pistol ace Manu Bhaker says she will continue to shoot in three events, including the 25m, vowing to make a strong comeback after enduring a hat-trick of heartbreaks on her Olympics debut.

Speaking to PTI after arriving from Tokyo, the 19-year-old said there was negativity around her shooting and preparations in the run-up to the Olympics, due to the conflict with former coach Jaspal Rana, who had insisted that she withdraws from the 25m pistol event.

“I will continue to shoot in 25m event,” Bhaker said as she readied to leave the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday.

While the controversy around her dispute with Rana did have an impact on her performance, wanting to win medals at all cost made it worse, the Youth Olympics and Commonwealth Games gold medallist said. Bhaker had earned her Tokyo quota during the ISSF World Cup in Munich.

“Yes, there was negativity as my mother and father were also forced to get involved in this whole issue. Questions like why my mother is with me in Bhopal (for training and trials) and why is my father accompanying would be asked by him. So, there was negativity,” she said.

Among other things, there were technical problems which…

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