‘Indeed an emotional day without him by my side’: Manu Bhaker remembers her late coach Jaspal Rana

Nagoya: Carrying the Indian flag alongside kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat during the Asian Games opening ceremony at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker reflected on an emotional milestone made poignant by the absence of her late mentor, Jaspal Rana.

"Missed Jaspal sir a lot today. It was indeed an emotional day without his presence by my side," Bhaker said after the ceremony here.

Rana, an iconic shooter and legendary mentor, passed away on June 11 at 49 years old. He played a pivotal role in shaping Bhaker's career, famously guiding her to a double bronze medal performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 24-year-old pistol shooter previously recalled how Rana's advice directed her perspective on major multi-sport opening ceremonies. Her former coach insisted she skip opening ceremonies unless she was serving as a flag-bearer, encouraging her to focus on competition preparation and watch the festivities on television instead.

Competing in her third Asian Games, Bhaker had missed the 2018 opening ceremony because she was stationed in Palembang rather than the main village in Jakarta. Reminded of Rana's principles after later attending the 2018 Commonwealth Games, walking out as India's flag-bearer held profound significance.

As the only athlete from independent India to secure two medals at a single Olympic Games, Bhaker now turns her focus to the range, where she will participate in the women's 10m air pistol, women's 25m pistol, and 10m air pistol mixed team events. (PTI)