Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women’s 10m air pistol final at the Asian Games 2026, but it was the mention of former coach and mentor Jaspal Rana that brought the Indian shooter to tears as she reflected on his influence on her career and life.
Manu Bhaker remained composed while discussing her fifth-place finish in the women’s 10m air pistol event. But when the conversation turned to Jaspal Rana, the Indian shooting star struggled to hold back her emotions.
The Asian Games in Japan marked Bhaker’s first multi-sport competition since Rana’s death in June. The former Indian shooting champion, who was 49, had played an important role in Bhaker’s development and had guided her to two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Manu Bhaker Gets Emotional While Remembering Jaspal Rana
Rana’s name immediately brought back memories for Bhaker, who spoke about the lasting impact he had on her life.
“If I remember all those years…it’s not that you remember once or twice, it stays with you. When a person has been a big part of your life, it stays,”
Bhaker said.
The 24-year-old had worked with Rana during important stages of her shooting career, and his absence added an emotional dimension to her first Asian Games appearance since his death.
Rana himself had an illustrious Asian Games record. He won eight medals across three editions, including four gold medals. His performance at the 2006 Doha Asian Games remains part of his legacy, when he competed despite reportedly running a high fever.
Rana’s Biggest Lesson: Focus on the Process
For Bhaker, one of Rana’s most important lessons was not about medals or results. It was about concentrating on the process.
She tried to apply that philosophy during Wednesday’s final.
“He was just so adamant on process always — that you have to be able to, any given day, any given point in your life, whenever you shoot, you have to be able to give your best performance and follow your process,”
Bhaker recalled.
The Indian shooter qualified for the final in third place but could not convert the opportunity into a podium finish.
An 8.9 on her eighth shot proved to be a significant setback.
Asked whether the shot affected her medal chances, Bhaker was direct.
“As much as anyone wants to deny it, yes, it definitely compromised the chances a lot,”
she said.
‘He Was the Best of the Best’: Bhaker on Rana
Bhaker also remembered the anticipation she had once felt about competing in Japan under Rana’s guidance.
She described him as an “Asian champion” and “the best of the best”, reflecting on his stature in Indian shooting.
“Of course, he was like the Asian champion, he was like the best of the best. When I came to the Asian Games (in 2018 Jakarta), I think he was like the undisputed champion and yes I was really looking forward to Japan actually and the circumstances were,”
she said before pausing to compose herself.
The opportunity to compete in Japan with Rana as part of her journey was something Bhaker had looked forward to before his death.
Rana’s Life Advice Went Beyond Shooting
When asked whether she remembered any particular advice Rana had given her about the Asian Games, Bhaker said his words had always carried meaning for her.
She then recalled a message that extended far beyond sport.
“Life is very unpredictable and live it to the fullest, be kind and everything,”
Bhaker said.
The words offered a glimpse into the broader influence Rana had on her life beyond his role as a shooting coach.
Bhaker Calls Asian Games Preparation ‘Difficult’
The 10m air pistol final came after what Bhaker described as a difficult preparation period in Japan.
She said her pre-training session on Tuesday had been particularly challenging and that she had struggled to see the sighting targets properly.
“I had some issues like yesterday the PT (pre-training) was not good at all — lots of struggle, lots of things and I was not able to see the sighters properly,”
she said.
Despite those difficulties, Bhaker believed her performance in competition was better than what she had experienced during training.
“I genuinely tried my best and really feel that my performance was significantly better than what I have been facing, the challenges I’ve been facing in my training in Japan,”
she said.
‘My Process Was the Number One Thing’
Bhaker said she consciously made her process the priority throughout qualification and the final.
“My process was the number one thing and I was able to do that in qualification and also in the finals. Most of the shots I was able to do exactly how I had planned, like how my process is. However, a few shots were not so good,”
she explained.
She also compared her Asian Games performance with simulated finals she had competed in during preparations in Bhopal.
According to Bhaker, her performance in Japan was slightly better.
“If you compare the performance from there to here, the performance here is slightly better,”
she said, referring to conversations with her coach.
That comparison helped her maintain a positive outlook despite missing the podium.
“I’m positive that in future I can do even better and can keep improving.”
Bhaker Credits Her Support Team
Bhaker also stressed that her performances are the result of the work of a much larger support system.
She specifically acknowledged her current coach, Serbian shooting expert Jelena Arunovic, for her hard work and patience.
“You just see me, but so many people work so hard so that we are able to perform,”
Bhaker said.
Speaking about Arunovic, she added:
“Coach Jelena…she has been so hardworking with everything and patient.”
The fifth-place finish means Bhaker missed out on an individual medal in the 10m air pistol at these Asian Games, but she remained determined to improve.
“I’m very grateful and I really hope I can do better,”
she said.
For Bhaker, the result was therefore about more than one missed podium. It was also an emotional reminder of the coach and mentor whose lessons continue to shape her approach to shooting and life.